[BRARY 


THE  UNIVERSITY 


OF  CALIFORNIA 


LOS  ANGELES 


,  unor 


ENSIGN  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  NAVY 


A  BRIEF  STORY  OF  A  SHORT  LIFE 


The  noblest  men  methinks  are  bred 
Of  ours  the  Saxo-Norman  race." 

TE.VNVSON. 


BY 
ETHELBERT  DUDLEY  WARFIELD 

PRESIDENT  OF  LAFAYETTE  COLLEGE 


U:c  Tkmcl;etbockcv  preee 
HAcw  ijorh 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

INTRODUCTION  v 

I. — BIRTH  AND  PARENTAGE         .        .  i 

II. — BOYHOOD 18 

III. — AT  THE  NAVAL  ACADEMY     .        .  28 

IV. — IN  ACTIVE  SERVICE       .        .  50 

V. — ON  BOARD  THE  "GUSHING"         .  60 

APPENDICES 

REPORT  OF  LT.  ALBERT  CLEAVES  TO  THE 

SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY         .        .  87 

REMARKS  OF  RKV.  WALLACE  RADCLIFFE, 

D.D.  .'...-.         .         .  94 


INTRODUCTION 

"  Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall, 
And  flowers  to  wither  at  the  north  wind's  breath, 

And  stars  to  set ; — but  all, 
Thou  hast  all  seasons  for  thy  own,  O  Death." 

— Heinans, 

THE  completeness  of  a  human 
life  is  not  to  be  measured  by 
its  length,  nor  even  by  its  accom- 
plishment, but  rather  by  what  it  rep- 
resents. Some  lives  are  beautiful 
because  of  their  symmetrical  devel- 
opment, growing  step  by  step,  un- 
folding from  bud  to  blossom,  and 
blossom  to  fruit,  until  perfect  matu- 
rity is  attained.  Other  lives  are 
beautiful  because  of  their  striking 


vi  Intro&uction 

incompleteness  of  development,  be- 
cause they  have  given  all  the  beauty 
and  strength  which  they  possessed 
for  the  accomplishment  of  a  single 
noble  act  in  the  service  of  a  beloved 
cause,  or  in  a  sudden  passion  of  sub- 
lime self-sacrifice.  The  world  has 
always  yearned  over  the  unfulfilled 
promise  of  these  brief  lives,  and  con- 
tinues to  study  with  never-ceasing 
regret  the  Hves  of  the  Stephens,  and 
Sydneys,  and  Warrens,  of  history. 
The  poets  are  in  their  tenderest 
moods  when  they  sing  of  them,  as 
Milton,  and  Shelley,  and  Tennyson 
sing  in  their  Lycidas,  Adonais,  and 
In  Memoriam.  This  impulse  must 
be  the  excuse  for  this  brief  sketch  of 
one  whose  life  was  so  short,  and 
whose  death,  dignified  as  it  was  by 
devotion  to  duty,  was  yet  but  one  of 
the  passing  incidents  of  the  unselfish 
service  to  which  he  had  dedicated 
his  young  manhood. 

Joseph  Cabell  Breckinridge  lost  his 


flntro&uctton  vii 

life  in  what  may  be  regarded  as 
the  first  episode  in  our  war  with 
Spain.  He  was  swept  overboard 
from  the  torpedo  -  boat  Gushing, 
while  it  was  bearing  despatches  to 
the  Maine,  then  lying  in  the  harbor 
of  Havana.  The  news  of  the  de- 
struction of  the  Maine  reached  New 
York  while  the  writer  of  this  memoir 
was  waiting  to  receive  the  body  of 
the  young  sailor  which  the  steam- 
ship Seneca  was  bringing  home.  An 
additional  incident  is  added  to  this 
first  page  of  war  history,  by  the  death 
of  Ensign  Breckinridge's  close  friend 
and  classmate,  Ensign  Worth  Bag- 
ley,  who  was  the  first  officer  to  be 
killed  in  an  actual  engagement.  The 
progress  of  the  war  has  been  so  rapid, 
so  many  have  proved  themselves 
worthy  of  the  name  of  hero,  so  su- 
perb is  the  record  of  our  army  and 
navy,  that  the  story  of  this  brief 
life  may  seem  to  some  insignificant. 
But  that  is  precisely  what  it  is  not. 


viii  ITntroDiictton 

It  is  significant  of  the  honorable  fact, 
that  not  only  in  the  stirring  times  of 
war,  but  also  in  the  quiet  years  of 
profound  peace,  our  sailors  are  heroes. 
It  was  only  after  years  of  perfect 
preparation  and  absolute  readiness 
for  any  emergency,  that  the  oppor- 
tunity came  to  Dewey  in  the  harbor 
of  Manila,  and  to  Hobson  off  San- 
tiago de  Cuba.  It  is  no  diminution 
of  their  glory  to  say  that  there  were 
others  as  brave  and  as  ready  for  high 
service  and  noble  sacrifice  as  they. 
The  life  of  this  young  Ensign  offers 
no  slight  evidence  of  this.  Sound 
must  the  system  of  training  be  which 
produces  such  men.  And  happy 
the  people  from  whom  they  spring. 

It  is  a  striking  coincidence  that 
just  at  this  moment  the  government, 
in  increasing  its  naval  armament, 
should  give  to  two  of  its  new  vessels 
the  names  of  two  young  Kentuckiajis 
who,  at  the  very  threshhold  of  young 
manhood,  gave  their  lives  at  the  call 


tfntroDuction  ix 

of  duty  in  the  navy.  Hugh  McKee, 
and  John  Talbot,  were  each  of  them 
about  twenty-six  years  of  age,  when 
they  rendered  the  single  service  which 
has  made  their  names  thus  to  live  in 
the  annals  of  our  country.  Both  of 
them  were  well  fitted  to  illustrate 
the  unwillingness  of  men  to  let  any 
noble  deed  be  forgotten.  May  these 
pages  do  something  to  perpetuate 
and  keep  green  the  memory  of  the 
loyal  boy  whose  life  they  attempt  to 
portray. 


CHAPTER    I 

BIRTH   AND    PARENTAGE 

' '  Blazoned  as  on  heaven's  immortal  noon 
The  Cross  leads  generations  on." 

Shelley. 

JOSEPH  CABELL  BRECKIN- 
RIDGE  was  born  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  Virginia,  March  6,  1872. 
But  though  he  was  born  in  Virginia, 
he  was,  save  for  this  "  accident  of 
birth,"  a  Kentuckian.  It  was  only 
because  his  father,  Lieutenant  Jo- 
seph Cabell  Breckinridge,  an  officer 
in  the  Second  Artillery,  happened  to 
be  stationed  at  Fortress  Monroe, 
that  he  was  born  in  the  "  Old  Do- 


2   Joseph  Cabell  #rechtnrto0e,  3r. 

minion."  On  the  other  hand,  by  all 
the  deep-seated  tendencies  of  blood 
and  environment,  and  by  the  choice 
of  his  mature  manhood  when  he 
came  to  exercise  the  suffrage  of  an 
American  citizen,  he  was  identified 
with  the  daughter  State  beyond  the 
mountains.  His  loyalty  to  his  State 
was  tempered  only  by  the  higher 
loyalty  so  nobly  taught  by  Ken- 
tucky's greatest  son.  But  if  with 
Lincoln  he  loved  his  country  first, 
he  had  a  strong  affection  for  the  fair 
little  city  in  the  beautiful  "  Blue 
Grass  region,"  and  even  more  for 
the  strong  and  fertile  soil  of  the 
lovely  country  round  about,  which, 
like  Attic  Colonus,  has  been  so  long 
famous  for  its  breed  of  horses  and 
of  men. 

In  the  little  city  of  Lexington, 
Ky.,  on  the  street  known  as  Broad- 
way, near  the  centre  of  the  town, 
are  three  houses.  They  are  substan- 
tial brick  houses  in  the  Southern 


JSirth  anfc  parentage  3 

style.  One  of  them  has  recently  re- 
placed a  much  older  one.  These 
three  adjoining  houses,  occupied  by 
kinsfolk  on  both  sides  of  his  family- 
tree,  one  of  them  in  succession  by 
two  of  his  grandfathers ;  these,  with 
three  country  places  in  the  county, 
the  old  Breckinridge  home  of  "  Ca- 
bell's  Dale,"  the  newer,  "  Braedal- 
bane,"  and  the  Warfield  place  known 
as  "  Grasmere,"  were  Cabell  Breck- 
inridge's  native  land.  Across  the 
street  from  the  three  old  houses 
was  the  plain  brick  church  in  which 
his  grandfather  had  ministered  ;  not 
far  away  was  the  imposing  bank- 
building  in  which  another  grand- 
father had  long  been  the  reigning 
power ;  across  the  street  from  the 
bank  was  the  antique  court-house, 
beloved  for  its  discomforts  and 
decay,  where  generations  of  his 
kinsmen  had  swayed  the  fortunes 
of  their  fellow-men  in  legal  and 
political  debate ;  hard  by  was  the 


4   Josepb  Cabell  JBrec&tnd&ge,  Jr. 

broad  street,  known  as  "  Cheapside," 
once  having  a  market-place  in  its 
centre,  since  replaced  by  a  bronze 
statue  of  John  C.  Breckinridge,  the 
scene  of  all  the  gatherings  of  the 
country  folk,  and  redolent  with 
memories  of  fierce  personal  discus- 
sions closely  associated  with  his 
family  name.  If  he  was  not  born 
here,  nor  even  lived  here  very 
much,  yet  here  he  was  bred.  So 
many  household  memories  turned 
hither,  so  many  longings  for  the 
scenes  and  the  kindred  here,  so 
magical  an  attraction  lay  in  the 
rolling  hills  crowned  with  wide  trees 
and  carpeted  with  fragrant  grass, 
that  he  ever  felt  that  here  was 
his  home. 

No  man's  life  can  be  understood 
without  some  knowledge  of  his  an- 
cestry. In  the  case  of  Cabell  Breck- 
inridge the  story  of  his  life  is  simply 
a  page  from  the  history  of  his  family. 
The  Breckinridges  were  sprung  from 


JBfrtb  an&  parentage  5 

sturdy  Scotch  stock.  On  the  return 
of  Charles  II.  they  fled  from  Ayr- 
shire to  the  highlands  of  Argyle  and 
thence  passed  over  into  Ireland. 
About  1730  they  came  to  America, 
and  settled  in  the  Cumberland  Val- 
ley, in  Pennsylvania.  From  Penn- 
sylvania they  moved  to  Virginia,  and 
from  Virginia  to  Kentucky.  Gene- 
ration by  generation  they  mingled 
their  blood  with  other  vigorous  pio- 
neer families,  chiefly  Scotch  and 
Scotch-Irish,  but  with  more  than 
one  strong  stream  of  hardy  English 
blood.1  The  early  records  of  Ken- 
tucky are  full  of  the  doings  of  three 
brothers  of  the  family,  Alexander 
Breckinridge  and  Gen.  Robert  Breck- 
inridge  of  Louisville,  and  John  Breck- 
inridge. The  latter  at  the  age  of 
thirty-three  removed  from  Char- 

1  See  Fiske's  Old  Virginia  and  Her  Neigh- 
bors, vol.  ii.,  p.  28,  where  the  Cabell  family  is 
chosen  with  those  of  Randolph,  Gary,  and  Lee 
to  illustrate  the  typical  Virginia  genealogy. 


6     Sosepb  Cabell  JBrecfetnrlfcfle,  Jr. 

lottesville,  Va.,  and  settled  at  "  Ca- 
bell's  Dale,"  about  seven  miles  east 
of  Lexington.  He  had  begun  his 
public  career  by  an  election  to  the 
Virginia  House  of  Delegates  before 
he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  and 
after  considerable  public  services  re- 
signed from  the  National  House  of 
Representatives  upon  his  removal  to 
Kentucky.  His  brief  career, — for  he 
died  in  1806,  at  the  age  of  forty-six, 
— saw  him  render  conspicuous  ser- 
vices to  his  State  and  occupy  a  seat 
in  the  United  States  Senate  and  in 
Mr.  Jefferson's  Cabinet  as  Attorney- 
General.  His  wife,  Mary  Hopkins 
Cabell,  was  a  woman  of  remarkable 
gifts.  Her  brilliant  sayings  pass 
current  now  far  beyond  the  circle 
of  her  many  descendants,  and  her 
vigorous  intellect  lives  to-day  in  un 
mistakable  characteristics  in  grand- 
children and  great-grandchildren. 

The  third  son  of  John  Breckinridge 
was  Robert  Jefferson   Breckinridge. 


JSirtb  and  parentage  7 

His  name,  if  it  is  now  fading  from 
general  recollection,  was  a  household 
word  a  generation  ago.  His  powerful 
intellect,  fervid  speech,  and  superb 
courage,  made  his  long  life  one  great 
battle  with  every  form  of  falsehood 
and  wrong.  Beginning  his  life  as  a 
lawyer,  he  soon  entered  public  life  as 
a  Whig,  and  served  several  terms  in 
the  legislature.  When  about  twenty- 
eight  years  old  the  faith  of  his  fathers 
laid  hold  on  him  with  tremendous 
force  of  conviction,  and  he  entered 
the  Presbyterian  ministry.  As  a 
pastor  he  was  devoted  and  beloved ; 
as  a  preacher  he  was  brilliant  and 
admired  ;  as  a  controversialist  he  was 
bold  and  dreaded :  yet  he  became 
celebrated  for  the  breadth  and  learn- 
ing of  his  theological  writings  ;  was 
never  neglectful  of  his  duty  as  a 
public-spirited  citizen,  and  occupied 
with  success  positions  as  editor,  col- 
lege president,  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction,  and  professor  of 


8    $osepb  cabell  JBrecfcfnrfDfle,  $r. 

theology.  In  the  great  struggle  that 
convulsed  the  Southern  States,  he 
was  a  fearless  champion  of  emancipa- 
tion and  union.  .He  was  the  leader 
of  the  emancipation  party  in  Ken- 
tucky in  1849,  one  °f  the  bulwarks 
of  loyalty  in  1861,  and  presided 
over  the  Republican  National  Con- 
vention in  1864.  His  brothers,  Hon. 
Joseph  Cabell  Breckinridge,  the 
father  of  Vice-President  John  C. 
Breckinridge,  Rev.  John  Breckin- 
ridge, D.D.,  and  Rev.  William  L. 
Breckinridge,  D.D.,  were  worthy  rep- 
resentatives of  the  family. 

Robert  Jefferson  Breckinridge  mar- 
ried his  cousin,  Sophonisba  Preston, 
daughter  of  General  Francis  Preston, 
granddaughter  of  Colonel  William 
Preston,  who  died  from  injuries  re- 
ceived at  the  Battle  of  Guilford  Court- 
House,  and  great-granddaughter  of 
that  father  of  the  faithful,  John  Pres- 
ton, one  of  the  noblest  progenitors 
of  a  line  of  God-fearing  patriots 


JBtrtb  an&  parentage  9 

to  be  found  in  the    records  of   our 
race.1 

The  tenth  child,  and  fifth  son,  of 
this  marriage,  was  Joseph  Cabell 
Breckinridge.  He  was  born  in  Balti- 
more, Maryland,  while  his  father  was 
pastor  of  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church  of  that  city,  January  14,  1842. 
Educated  at  Transylvania  Univer- 
sity (Ky.),  Centre  College  (Ky.),  and 
the  University  of  Virginia,  he  was 
reading  law  when  the  war  broke  out. 
Though  only  nineteen  years  of  age 
he  quickly  volunteered  his  services 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  Union, 

1  General  Francis  Preston  was  a  member  of 
Congress  under  the  Articles  of  Confederation. 
His  wife  was  the  only  daughter  of  Gen.  Wm. 
Campbell,  the  "  Hero  of  King's  Mountain" 
(1780).  Other  children  were  :  Senator  Wm. 
Campbell  Preston,  Gen.  John  S.  Preston,  M.C., 
Thos.  L.  Preston,  Eliza,  who  married  Gen.  Ed- 
ward Carrington,  Susan,  who  married  Gov. 
James  McDowell,  Maria,  who  married  John  M. 
Preston,  Sally,  who  married  Gov.  John  B. 
Floyd,  and  Margaret,  who  married  Gov.  Wade 
Hampton, 


Cabell  ;JBr.ecfctiu%i&0e,  Jr. 

and  August  30,  1861,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  General  William  Nelson, 
on  his  staff  as  Assistant  Adjutant- 
General  of  the  forces  then  assem- 
bling at  Camp  Nelson.  Subsequently 
he  was  transferred  to  the  staff  of 
General  George  H.  Thomas,  with 
whom  he  served  until  he  received  a 
commission  (dated  April  14,  1862) 
in  the  regular  army  for  gallantry  at 
the  Battle  of  Mill  Spring.  He  served 
with  distinction  throughout  the  war, 
was  captured  at  the  time  and  place 
that  General  McPherson  was  killed, 
before  Atlanta,  and  twice  brevetted 
for  gallant  and  meritorious  services.1 
In  1868  Major  Breckinridge  mar- 
ried Miss  Louise  Ludlow  Dudley,  of 
Lexington,  Ky.  The  Dudleys  were 
among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  have  given  a  number  of 
distinguished  names  to  her  history. 
Among  these  that  of  Dr.  Benjamin 

1  Now  Major-General,  and  Inspector-General 
in  the  United  States  Army. 


:H3ivtb 


Dudley,  whose  reputation  as  a  sur- 
geon is  international,  and  Dr.  Ethel- 
bert  Ludlow  Dudley,  are  especially 
notable.  Dr.  Ethelbert  Dudley  was 
a  man  of  rare  and  pervading  per- 
sonality. Every  one  who  knew  him 
loved  him  ;  he  mingled  with  every 
class  in  society,  from  the  highest  to 
the  lowest,  with  equal  ease  ;  he  had 
a  peculiar  influence  over  animals, 
and  the  same  power  of  attaching 
them  to  him  that  he  had  over  men. 
He  was  a  surgeon  of  the  highest 
skill,  a  general  practitioner  of  un- 
usual acceptability,  a  lecturer  of  high 
popularity  both  in  the  medical  de- 
partment of  Transylvania  University, 
at  Lexington,  and  the  Louisville 
University.  Besides  this  he  was  a 
man  of  fine  literary  taste,  a  wide 
reader,  and  a  discriminating  critic. 
He  always  took  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs,  was  a  political  leader, 
and  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out 
he  at  once  becarne  the  organizer  of 


Cabcll 

the  loyal  element  for  military  service 
in  the  nation's  cause.  He  raised  the 
2 ist  Regiment  of  Kentucky  Vol- 
unteers, and  became  its  commanding 
officer.  But  unhappily  his  life  was 
cut  short  February  20,  1862,  by  camp 
fever. 

Col.  Ethelbert  L.  Dudley  married 
Miss  Mary  Dewees  Scott,  daughter 
of  Matthew  T.  Scott,  of  Lexington, 
Ky.  Matthew  T.  Scott  emigrated 
from  Shippensburg,  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  soon  impressed  himself  on  the 
community  as  a  business  man  of 
unusual  ability  and  the  highest 
probity.  He  became  the  president 
of  the  Northern  Bank  of  Kentucky, 
which  with  its  branches  in  various 
towns  was  by  far  the  most  powerful 
financial  institution  in  all  that  section 
of  country.  The  history  of  this  bank 
is  unique  in  the  financial  history  of 
the  Middle  West,  where  so  many 
"  wild-cat "  schemes  at  more  than 
one  period  flourished,  and  the  period 


3Btrtb  anD  parentage  13 

of  Matthew  T.  Scott's  presidency  is 
inferior  to  none  for  intelligence  and 
soundness  of  administration. 

The  only  children  of  Col.  Ethel- 
bert  L.  Dudley  were  Matthew  Scott 
Dudley,  who  entered  the  army  with 
his  father,  and  soon  after  the  war 
met  an  accidental  death,  and  Mrs. 
Breckinridge. 

One  thing  remains  to  be  noted  in 
connection  with  this  ancestry.  In 
every  line,  in  addition  to  high  intel- 
lectual gifts,  strong  personality  and 
lofty  patriotism,  we  find  intense 
religious  convictions.  All  these 
families  are  of  old  Calvinistic  creed. 
The  Bible  is  to  all  of  them  the  Word 
of  God,  the  Westminister  Standards 
a  sufficient  statement  of  their  faith, 
the  Shorter  Catechism,  especially,  a 
perfect  vade  mecum  of  early  educa- 
tion. None  of  the  children  of  these 
households  but  can  recall  the  Sabbath 
afternoon  drill,  often  including  the 
Scripture  proof  texts.  If  there 


14    Soeepb  Cabell  JBrechinri&ge,  3r. 

any  drudgery  about  it,  it  was  too 
early  in  youth  to  becloud  the  memory 
of  the  hasty  repetition  of  the  famil- 
iar phrases.  An  anecodote  of  Gen- 
eral Breckinridge  well  illustrates  this 
teaching. 

Some  years  ago  General  Breckin- 
ridge was  standing  on  the  street  in 
Denver,  Colorado,  when  he  noticed 
that  a  gentleman  in  passing  looked  at 
him  very  closely.  He  turned  and 
followed  the  gentleman  with  his  eye, 
who  looked  back  and  seeing  he  had 
been  observed  retraced  his  steps  and 
walking  up  to  General  Breckinridge 
said  to  him  :  "  What  is  the  chief  end 
of  man  ?  "  The  instant  response  was : 
"  Man's  chief  end  is  to  glorify  God 
and  enjoy  Him  forever."  The  ques- 
tioner held  out  his  hand  and  said  :  "  I 
knew  by  your  look  and  carriage  that 
you  were  an  army  officer  and  a 
Presbyterian." 

In  such  families  our  age  has  in- 
herited and  preserved  something  of 


JBirtb  anO  parentage  15 

the  splendor  of  the  time  when 
freedom  was  a  thing  to  be  fought  for, 
not  to  be  enjoyed  in  ease  and  idleness. 
They  have  continued  to  realize  that 
the  dearest  freedom  is  freedom  to 
worship  God  according  to  every 
man's  conscience.  And  their  con- 
sciences have  bowed  before  the 
authority  of  God's  will.  More  than 
once  they  have  become  "  strangers 
and  pilgrims  "  for  the  sake  of  faith 
and  freedom.  They  have  held 
wealth  and  all  worldly  prosperity  of 
little  worth  in  comparison  with  the 
claims  of  country  and  of  conscience. 
Over  against  the  soft  allurements  of 
nineteenth-century  philosophy,  with 
its  shibboleth  of  sweetness  and  light, 
they  have  repeated  the  old-time 
watchwords  of  faith  and  frugality ; 
they  have  even  dared  to  defy  the 
cynical  rationalism  of  the  day  with 
the  old  war-cry,  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  "  ;  and  whatever  else  may  have 
befallen  them  they  have  not  failed  to 


16    Joaepb  Gabell  JBrecfcfnriDfle,  Jr. 

see,  generation  by  generation,  fulfil- 
ments of  the  promise,  "  Know,  there- 
fore, that  the  Lord  thy  God  He  is 
God,  the  faithful  God  which  keepeth 
covenant  and  mercy  with  them  that 
love  Him  and  keep  His  command- 
ments to  a  thousand  generations." 

To  many  a  man  ancestral  influ- 
ences are  only  silent  tendencies. 
They  operate  upon  him  according  to 
the  laws  of  heredity,  determining  his 
actions  only  as  they  determine  his 
stature.  But  it  was  not  so  with 
Cabell  Breckinridge.  His  family  had 
the  Scotch  character  of  clanishness. 
Though  scattered  broadly  over  the 
continent,  though  divided  by  radical 
differences  of  taste  and  temper, 
though  sometimes  bitterly  antagoniz- 
ing each  other  on  public  questions, 
they  clung  together,  talked  much  of 
each  other  and  the  forebears  of  their 
name,  and  in  a  spirit  of  love  rather 
than  pride  of  race,  kept  alive  the 
sayings-and  doings  of  the  past.  His 


JBtrtb  and  parentage  17 

ancestry  looked  down  upon  his  boy- 
hood like  a  great  cloud  of  witnesses. 
He  could  not  but  feel  that  they 
demanded  of  him  three  things : 
First,  that  he  should  be  a  leader ; 
second,  that  he  should  be  an  out- 
spoken Christian,  and,  third,  that  he 
should  be  ready  to  serve  his  country 
even  with  his  life. 


CHAPTER   II 


BOYHOOD 

"  The  childhood   shows  the  man, 
As  morning  shows  the  day." 

— Paradise  Regained. 

^ABELL  BRECKINRIDGE 
v_>  spent  the  greater  portion  of 
his  life  prior  to  his  appointment  to 
the  Naval  Academy  at  various  mili- 
tary posts.  His  father  was  placed  in 
command  of  the  approaches  to 
Washington  in  1874,  with  his  resi- 
dence at  Fort  Foote,  eight  miles 
below  Washington.  Here  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  1878,  when  he 
was  ordered  to  the  Washington 


19 

Arsenal,  where  he  remained  until 
1 88 1.  From  1881  to  1884  he  was 
stationed  at  the  Presidio,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal.,  thus  covering  the  period 
of  his  son's  childhood.  These  years 
were  interspersed  with  visits,  often  of 
long  duration,  to  Kentucky.  During 
these  years  Cabell  Breckinridge  made 
the  impression  upon  those  who 
knew  him  well  of  a  rather  delicate 
boy,  of  high  temper,  nervous  energy 
and  abundant,  if  not  always  well 
directed,  intellectual  ability.  The 
influences  which  surrounded  him 
were  those  which  have  been  already 
referred  to  as  hereditary.  Not  only 
in  his  father  and  mother  did  he  find 
those  intense  convictions,  which  were 
a  part  of  their  inheritance  and  which 
had  been  greatly  stimulated  by  the 
moral  issues  which  had  brought  on 
the  war  and  had  carried  it  to  a 
successful  termination,  but  all  about 
him  his  relatives  and  associates  were 
largely  of  the  same  temperament. 


20    josepb  dabelt  JBrecftinri&ge,  Jr. 

There  was  throughout  the  circle  of 
influences  which  went  to  develop  his 
childhood  a  strong  intellectual  and 
moral  stimulus.  Many  of  the  more 
intimate  friends  and  relatives  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact  were  men 
of  mark  in  their  several  professions 
and  callings,  not  a  few  of  them  of 
intense  ambition,  and  in  some  cases 
of  very  radical  differences  of  opinion, 
which  led  to  frequent  discussion  and 
debate.  He  breathed,  too,  an  atmos- 
phere of  love  of  country  which  was 
consecrated  by  the  memory  of  be- 
loved relatives,  and  given  definite- 
ness  by  his  father's  profession  and 
his  familiarity  with  his  country, 
resulting  from  his  residence  at  the 
capital  and  his  extended  travel  over 
it.  But  most  of  all  he  lived  in  the 
midst  of  a  true  religious  devotion  and 
a  sincere  affection  for  the  church  of 
his  fathers  and  for  its  traditions. 
While  his  education  suffered  some- 
what from  the  removals  from  place 


to  place  and  the  want  of  satisfactory 
schools  in  several  of  the  places  in 
which  he  had  lived,  the  higher  edu- 
cation of  the  boy,  the  spiritual 
training  which  went  to  make  his 
higher  nature,  was  being  richly  de- 
veloped during  all  these  years. 

He  spent  the  year  1884-5  during 
an  extended  leave  of  his  father's  in 
Lexington,  Ky.,  and  from  1885  to 
1888  he  lived  in  Chicago.  During 
these  years  the  defects  of  his  early 
education  became  manifest,  and  were 
only  partially  rectified  by  the  bet- 
ter educational  facilities  which  this 
period  afforded.  It  was  therefore  not 
without  some  misgivings  that  his 
appointment  in  1888  as  a  naval 
cadet  was  received  by  many  of  those 
who  were  intimately  acquainted  with 
him.  He  had  all  the  qualities  that 
were  necessary  for  the  making  of  a 
true  man.  He  had  already  united 
with  the  Presbyterian  church ;  his 
outspoken  candor  was  a  conspicuous 


22    3osepb  Cabell 


feature  of  his  character  ;  and  his 
ability  was  known  to  be  more  than 
equal  to  the  requirements  of  the 
course  which  he  was  about  to  enter 
upon.  But  on  the  other  hand,  the 
slight  figure,  the  nervous  temper- 
ment,  and  the  somewhat  undisci- 
plined temper  of  the  lad  of  sixteen 
seemed  hardly  fitted  for  the  rigorous 
routine  and  severe  discipline  of  the 
Academy. 

Despite  this  fact,  the  appointment 
having  been  offered  to  him  by  his 
father's  elder  brother,  Colonel  Wm. 
C.  P.  Breckinridge,  then  member  of 
Congress,  and  it  not  being  certain 
that  he  would  have  another  oppor- 
tunity to  follow  out  a  career  which 
was  already  strongly  attractive  to 
him,  it  was  decided  that  he  should 
accept  it.  About  this  time  his  father 
was  appointed  Brigadier-General,  and 
became  the  chief  of  the  Inspector- 
General's  department,  with  which  he 
had  been  connected  since  1881.  This 


23 

brought  his  family  to  Washington,  a 
circumstance  which,  with  his  strong 
family  affection,  did  much  to  make 
the  life  at  Annapolis  a  happy  one. 
After  a  short  time  spent  at  Annapo- 
lis under  the  instruction  of  a  coach, 
Cabell  Breckinridge  passed  the  en- 
trance examinations,  and  in  Septem- 
ber, 1888,  became  a  naval  cadet. 

The  impression  made  on  other 
boys  at  this  time  is  worthy  of  a  brief 
notice.  One  comrade  of  his  life  in 
California,  the  son  of  another  army 
officer,  writes : 

"  I  regret  that  my  friendship  with 
Cabell  began  and  ended  when  we 
were  both  so  young  at  the  Presidio. 
I  have  never  seen  him  since,  though 
I  used  to  hear  a  great  deal  of  him. 
.  .  .  I  can  understand  how  the 
kindness  he  used  to  show  toward  the 
littlest  boys,  and  the  reckless  good 
spirits  and  daring  which  we  older 
little  boys  admired  and  tried  to  emu- 


24   Josepb  Cabell  ^recfcinttoge,  $r. 

late,  were  the  essentials  which  later 
made  him  the  first  among  officers 
and  gentlemen.  He  has  left  the 
memory  among  all  who  knew  him 
of  a  most  loving  and  lovable  nature." 

Another  writes: 

"  I  knew  Cabell  well  in  his  child- 
hood. He  was  one  of  those  children 
who  are  called  '  unfortunate  '  because 
so  often  hurt.  As  is  usually  the  case 
there  was  little  of  '  fortune  '  or  mere 
'  chance  '  in  it.  His  was  a  nervous, 
eager,  impatient  temper,  and  he  was 
quite  reckless  of  consequences.  He 
always  bore  the  '  consequences  '  like 
a  soldier.  I  remember  his  having 
received  a  very  bad  cut  over  the  eye 
in  some  rough  play  when  a  boy  of 
eight,  and  how  well  he  bore  the  pain 
during  the  long  time  that  elapsed 
before  the  surgeon  came.  About 
the  same  time  he  showed  remarkable 
coolness  when  his  father  was  injured 
by  the  explosion  of  a  cartridge,  car- 


25 

rying  the  news  to  his  mother  with  a 
sang-froid  which  prevented  undue 
alarm,  and  watching  the  surgeon  in 
his  treatment  of  the  wound,  which 
was  a  serious  one  in  the  shoulder, 
with  the  utmost  composure." 

And  another  says  : 

"  My  first  meeting  with  Cabell 
Breckinridge  was  rather  a  bashful 
affair  on  both  sides,  as  I  remember 
it  through  the  lapse  of  sixteen  years. 
As  sons  of  officers  in  the  Regular 
Army  of  the  United  States,  stationed 
at  the  Presidio,  the  garrison  near  San 
Francisco,  Cal.,  we  formed  a  boy- 
hood friendship  such  as  only  the 
unrestricted  freedom  of  the  child- 
ren's life  at  an  army  post  can  form. 
And  though  in  the  last  twelve  years 
I  have  seen  Breckinridge  but  seldom, 
the  knowledge  of  his  progress  in  life, 
of  his  actions  and  ambitions,  has  been 
often  brought  before  me  through  the 
medium  of  relatives,  his  classmates 


26   3o0epb  Cabell  JBrecfcintiDge,  Jr. 

at  Annapolis,  and  his  fellow-officers 
in  the  service,  so  that  when  the  news 
of  his  death  at  the  post  of  duty  off 
the  shore  of  Cuba  was  sent  to  the 
government  at  Washington,  the 
friendship  of  the  past  recurred  dis- 
tinctly, and  seemed  to  reach  in  an 
unbroken  line  down  to  the  present 
time. 

"As  I  knew  him,  Cabell  Breckin- 
ridge,  with  his  high-strung  nature — 
strong  in  its  attachments  and  its 
aversions,  quick  to  aid  where  help 
was  needed,  and  as  quick  to  resent 
injury  or  fancied  wrong, —  showed 
plainly  the  fighting  stock  of  which 
he  came.  Reckless  and  daring  as  a 
lad,  he  was  in  no  sense  quarrelsome, 
and  his  differences  were  generally  in 
behalf  of  his  friends,  and  not  with 
them.  He  was  always  ready  for 
sport  of  any  kind,  and  while  never 
very  athletic,  he  made  up  in  grit  and 
courage  what  he  lacked  in  simple 
physical  strength.  Oftentimes  sport 


JSo^booD  27 

took  the  form  of  mischief,  of  more 
or  less  serious  degree  ;  but  it  can 
never  be  said  that  any  vicious  motive 
influenced  the  boyish  actions  which 
must  form  a  part  of  the  nature  of 
any  lad  of  spirit  and  good  birth.  He 
believed  in  fair  play  at  all  times,  and 
held  that  the  violation  of  a  promise 
was  an  inexcusable  fault. 

"  He  was  not  a  good  student,  but 
nevertheless  learned  quickly,  and  put 
the  knowledge  acquired  aptly  to  use 
when  occasion  presented.  Of  the 
last  twelve  years  of  his  life  I  have,  as 
I  have  said  before,  known  but  little 
personally ;  yet,  from  his  classmates, 
and  his  brother-officers  in  the  service, 
I  know  that  he  was  accounted  a  man 
of  courage  and  of  loyalty  to  his 
friends,  and  I  think  no  one  will  con- 
tradict me  in  saying  that  by  his  death 
the  Navy  has  lost  a  gallant  officer — 
one  who  would  not  have  been  found 
wanting  in  the  hour  of  need,  nor  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duty." 


CHAPTER   III 


AT  THE   NAVAL  ACADEMY 

"  Just  at  the  age  'twixt  boy  and  youth 

When  thought  is  speech,  and  speech  is  truth." 

— Marmion, 

rT"^HE  materials  for  this  part  of 
1  Cabell  Breckinridge's  life  con- 
sist chiefly  in  the  recollections  of 
some  of  his  contemporaries.  The 
following  graphic  letter  by  a  class- 
mate of  the  class  of  1892,  leaves  lit- 
tle to  be  desired  as  a  pen-portrait : 

"  I  first  met  Cabell  in  August, 
1888,  at  Mr.  R.  L.  Werntz's  prepara- 
tory school  in  Annapolis,  where  we 
were  both  studying  for  the  Naval 

28 


Bt  tbe  flaval  BcaDcmg          29 

Academy  entrance  examinations. 
We  soon  knew  each  other,  and  from 
the  first,  I  think,  decided  to  be 
friends  ;  and  such  we  continued 
throughout  the  four  years  at  the 
Academy,  and  after  that  until  the 
end.  We  entered  in  September,  and 
that  part  of  the  class  was  quartered 
on  board  the  old  Santee,  the  '  May 
plebes '  being  still  away — no,  I  am 
wrong ;  they  had  just  returned  from 
their  summer  cruise,  and  we  all 
lived  together  during  September, 
the  three  upper  classes  being  on 
leave. 

"With  the  first  of  October  the 
academic  year  began,  and  from  that 
time  on  I  saw  a  great  deal  of  Cabell ; 
we  were  not  roommates,  but  lived 
near  together  on  the  first  floor  of  the 
New  Quarters.  I  was  often  with  him 
in  the  section  room,  at  drills  (we  were 
in  the  same  company),  and  during 
leisure  hours,  so  I  soon  got  to  know 
him  well,  and  to  like  him  more  and 


30   3osepb  Cabell  JBrecfcinrfDge,  5r, 

more.  He  was  full  of  mischief 
and  high  spirits,  always  skylarking 
and  playing  practical  jokes,  and  never 
so  happy  as  when  engaged  in  a  rough- 
and-tumble  wrestling  match  with  a 
crowd  of  classmates  in  somebody's 
room  or  around  the  corridors.  He 
was  tall  and  slender  for  his  age,  but 
not  weak  or  sickly ;  on  the  contrary 
he  seemed  as  tough  as  wire,  and  his 
activity  and  energy  were  tireless.  I 
have  said  that  Cabell  was  a  great 
practical  joker,  but  he  never  de- 
scended to  a  mean  trick ;  he  was 
frank  and  open  about  what  he  did, 
always,  and  took  a  joke  as  well  as  he 
played  it.  He  was  rather  hot-headed 
by  nature,  but  even  when  angry  his 
generosity  never  failed  him,  and  he 
soon  forgot  the  cause  of  the  outburst. 
I  remember  that  once,  when  we  were 
plebes,  Cabell  and  Mr.  Crank  had  a 
dispute  about  something  at  the 
table  (I  forget  what),  and  in  true 
boyish  fashion  they  agreed  that  they 


Bt  tbe  flaval  BcaOemg          31 

must  fight  it  out.     Mr.  Rodney,  who 
roomed  with  Cabell,  and  I  did  our 
best  to  laugh  the  matter  down,  and 
failing  in  that,  to  reason  the  two  out 
of   their   determination.      But     no ; 
both  were  proud  and  fancied  them- 
selves '  insulted,'  and  nothing  could 
stop  them.     So  Rodney  was  Cabell's 
second  and  I  was  Crank's,  and   we 
went  behind  the  armory,  where  the 
affair  was   soon   settled.     None   of 
the  four  knew  anything  about  such 
matters  I  think,  and  I  know  that  no 
harm  was  done  on  either  side.    After 
it  was  over  all  animosity  instantly 
vanished  ;  the  fighters  shook  hands, 
and     from     that    day    were    better 
friends  than  ever,  and  never  to  my 
knowledge    had  another  falling  out. 
Rodney  and  I  were  rejoiced  at  such 
a  conclusion,  for  our  sympathies  had 
been  about  equally  divided  all  along. 
"When  we  became  'youngsters,' 
or  third-class  men,  Cabell  was  soon 
known  by  all  the  new  plebes  as  one 


32   Josepb  Cabell  JBrecfeinriDge,  $r. 

of  the  most  merciless  '  runners '  in 
the  Academy;  but  not  one  of  them 
ever  bore  him  the  slightest  ill-will  on 
that  account,  I  am  sure.  The  kind 
of  hazing  that  we  did  was  mild  and 
harmless — in  fact,  I  am  convinced 
that  we  were  all  benefited  by  what 
we  received,  and  so  were  those  who 
came  after  us.  Cabell  was  very  in- 
genious in  devising  new  schemes  of 
running  to  try  on  the  fourth-class 
men,  and  we  all — plebes  included — 
got  a  great  deal  of  fun  out  of  them. 
Here  again,  however,  there  was 
nothing  of  the  bully  or  coward  in 
what  he  did  ;  for  although  he  him- 
self had  suffered  a  good  deal  from 
the  persecution  of  certain  upper-class 
bullies  while  he  was  a  plebe,  he  was 
too  high-minded  to  resort  to  such 
tactics  when  the  opportunity  was 
given  him. 

"He  was  always  fearless  and  in- 
dependent, whether  among  his  equals 
or  those  above  him — cadets  or  offi- 


Bt  tbe  iKlaval  BcaDemg          33 

cers — and  very  tenacious  of  what  he 
believed  to  be  his  rights  ;  he  resented 
any  act  of  injustice  and  imposition, 
and  never  suffered  it  tamely  or  cring- 
ingly.  But  there  was  nothing  sul- 
len about  his  disposition  ;  if  he  was 
harshly  or  unfairly  treated,  he  made 
known  his  feelings  promptly,  and  had 
it  out,  so  to  speak,  then  and  there. 
I  think  it  was  this  trait  that  made 
him  liked  by  everyone  except  bul- 
lies, who  feared  him  for  it. 

"  He  often  got  into  scrapes  of  one 
sort  or  another,  chiefly  through  his 
reckless  and  fun-loving  nature,  which 
prompted  him  to  commit  innumer- 
able petty  breaches  of  the  regulations 
(most  of  which  were  made  only  to 
be  broken,  anyhow).  If  he  was  dis- 
covered, he  got  demerits  for  these 
mild  offences,  of  course,  and  the 
sum  of  them  for  a  month  was  usually 
enough  to  put  him  in  a  low  '  con- 
duct grade,'  although  he  had  done 
nothing,  in  reality,  to  deserve  it. 


34   Sosepb  Cabell  JBrec&inri&ge,  5v. 

This  necessarily  told  heavily  against 
him  in  class  standing,  for  what  they 
call  '  conduct  and  discipline '  at  the 
Naval  Academy  is  given  more  weight 
than  almost  anything  else.  Cabell 
would  laugh  over  his  troubles,  and 
every  now  and  then  honestly  resolve 
to  keep  off  the  conduct  report  in 
future.  Sometimes  he  would  be 
successful  for  a  week  or  so,  but  never 
much  longer ;  his  restless  spirit  would 
lead  him,  often  with  the  utmost  in- 
nocence, into  some  new  escapade, 
which,  harmless  as  it  always  was, 
and  generally  comical,  would  end  in 
his  name  appearing  again  on  the 
report. 

"During  the  two  years  or  more 
that  we  were  in  the  same  class  this 
unlucky  propensity  was  strongest ; 
for  he  was  then  very  young — one  of 
the  youngest  men  in  the  class — and 
had  n't  begun  to  take  things  seriously. 
He  was  always  ready  to  drop  every- 
thing for  a  friendly  tussle  or  race  in 


at  tbc  IRaval  acafcems          35 

the  corridor,  and  often  his  recitations 
suffered  in  consequence.  He  had  so 
many  friends,  and  spent  so  large  a 
part  of  his  time  with  them,  that  there 
Avas  not  much  left  for  study.  This 
was  the  sole  cause  of  his  failure  to 
keep  up  with  the  class,  as  was  shown 
by  his  record  in  the  class  of  '95,  when 
he  had  grown  more  serious  and 
thoughtful ;  for  as  soon  as  he  began 
really  to  apply  himself,  he  showed 
at  once  what  was  in  him,  and  took 
high  rank  in  most  of  his  studies. 

"  Cabell  was  always  an  enthusiast 
on  the  subject  of  athletics,  and  not 
in  theory  only,  or  chiefly  ;  he  became 
especially  interested  in  boxing  while 
we  were  plebes,  and  practised  in  the 
gymnasium  as  often  as  he  could  get 
the  opportunity,  soon  developing 
into  one  of  the  best  boxers  in  the 
class.  He  was  not,  of  course,  power- 
fully built ;  but  his  body  and  limbs 
were  tough  and  elastic,  his  head  and 
nerves  steady  and  under  perfect  con- 


36   Soeepb  Cabell  JBrecfeinnDse,  3r. 

trol,  and  he  was  as  quick  as  a  flash 
to  seize  an  advantage  when  it  was 
offered.  These  are  the  very  qualities 
that  make  a  born  fencer,  and  such  he 
proved  himself  to  be  when,  a  little 
later,  we  were  given  our  first  lessons 
by  Mr.  Corbesier,  the  swordmaster. 
Cabell  showed  a  preference,  at  the 
start,  for  the  foils  over  the  broad- 
swords, and  from  that  time  on  was 
most  constant  and  diligent  in  his 
sword-practice.  He  quickly  passed 
all  the  rest  of  us,  and  became  the 
brave  old  master's  favorite  pupil. 
During  part  of  the  year  cadets  were 
allowed  and  encouraged  to  take  ex- 
tra lessons  in  the  armory,  between 
supper  and  the  call  to  evening 
studies  ;  and  Cabell,  especially  during 
the  latter  part  of  his  course,  was  to 
be  seen  nearly  eveiy  evening  of  the 
week  devoting  that  hour  to  his 
favorite  pursuit,  working  away  with 
untiring  zeal  and  energy  to  perfect 
himself  in  this  branch  of  his  profes- 


iat  tbe  Ifoaval  BcaDemg          37 

sion.  Mr.  Corbesier  took  a  deep 
interest  in  such  a  promising  and 
faithful  scholar,  and  helped  him  on 
by  every  means  in  his  power ;  he 
loved  him  for  himself,  too,  and 
treated  him  with  a  sort  of  fatherly 
kindness  and  affection  that  was 
almost  pathetic. 

"When  I  left  the  Academy,  in 
1892,  Cabell  had  become  a  skilful 
fencer ;  but  at  the  time  of  his  gradu- 
ation, in  1895,  he  was  recognized  as 
by  far  the  most  expert  swordsman 
of  the  battalion  of  cadets,  and  his 
instructors  declared  that  few,  if  any, 
who  were  his  equals  had  ever  been 
graduated.  He  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  exhibition  tournaments 
held  from  time  to  time,  and  his 
fencing  was  always  regarded  as  the 
part  of  the  entertainment  not  to  be 
missed. 

"  In  connection  with  this  subject 
I  will  mention  an  incident  that  per- 
haps you  know  of  already,  though 


38   Josepb  Gabell  ffii-ecfcinrt&se,  Jr. 

Cabell's  modesty  was  such  that  he 
may  well  have  failed  to  talk  about 
it,  even  to  you  ;  this  happened  after 
I  left,  and  has  been  told  me  by  Mr. 
Cushman,  an  ensign  on  board  this 
ship. 

"  Cabell  and  three  of  his  class- 
mates—Mr. Walker  (J.  E.),  Mr. 
Cushman,  and  Mr.  Johnson — had 
just  finished  an  exhibition  of  fencing 
at  a  tournament  in  the  old  gym- 
nasium. As  they  were  going  down- 
stairs, after  dressing,  Mr.  Corbesier 
called  the  party,  and  holding  out 
his  cap  to  them,  told  each  one  to 
draw  a  slip  of  paper  from  it.  With- 
out a  word  each  took  a  slip, 
and  on  examining  them,  Cabell's 
was  found  to  have  a  mark  on  it. 
The  old  gentleman  then  stepped 
aside,  and  presently  appeared  with  a 
pair  of  beautiful  gold-chased  duel- 
ling swords,  which  he  presented  to 
Cabell,  saying  that  he  had  been  un- 
willing to  make  a  choice  among  the 


Bt  the  TRaval  Scafcemi?         39 

four  (the  best  pupils  he  had),  and 
had  thus  left  the  decision  to  chance. 
It  was  well  known  that  he  would 
have  singled  out  Cabell  without  a 
moment's  hesitation  as  the  one  most 
worthy  of  the  gift,  but  for  his  un- 
willingness to  hurt  the  others'  feel- 
ings ;  and  he  was  plainly  delighted 
at  the  result,  which  was  just  what 
he  so  earnestly  wished. 

"The  three  other  fellows  shook 
hands  with  Cabell  and  congratulated 
him  in  all  sincerity;  for  they  be- 
lieved, and  have  said  ever  since,  that 
the  swords  went  to  the  man  that, 
beyond  question,  deserved  them. 

"  This  same  team  continued  to 
lead  the  Academy  in  the  art  of  fenc- 
ing, but  Cabell  was  easily  pre-emi- 
nent among  them  to  the  last. 

"  He  was  an  ardent  lover  of  foot- 
ball, too,  and  in  spite  of  his  light 
weight,  was  a  very  good  player ; 
during  his  first-class  year  he  was,  I 
believe,  on  the  Academy  eleven  for  a 


40   5osepb  Cabell 


time,  and  was  always  considered  a 
first-rate  '  end/  on  account  of  his 
quickness,  speed,  and  endurance. 
He  was  hurt  several  times  in  play- 
ing; not  seriously,  but  enough  to 
lay  him  off  for  a  while  ;  and  towards 
the  end  of  the  season  I  think,  he 
gave  up  the  game  almost  entirely, 
being  anxious  to  prevent  any  acci- 
dent that  might  interfere  with  his 
studies  and  keep  him  from  finishing 
his  course  with  credit. 

"  Of  Cabell's  social  life  at  An- 
napolis I  cannot  say  much,  as  it  did 
not  begin,  properly  speaking,  until 
he  was  a  second-class  man,  when  I 
had  gone  away  ;  I  mean,  of  course, 
the  round  of  society  life  as  it  exists 
at  the  Naval  Academy,  and  of  which 
third-  and  fourth-class  men  saw  little 
when  I  was  there.  But  Cabell  had 
always  a  few  friends,  both  among 
the  officers'  families  and  out  in  the 
town,  whom  he  used  to  visit,  even 
the  first  year.  One  house  that  was 


Bt  tbe  "Wavml  BcaDemg          41 

constantly  open  to  him,  and  which 

he  loved  to  visit,  was  the  C s'  ; 

and  I  remember  going  there  with 
him,  when  we  were  plebes,  and  meet- 
ing Mrs.  C —  — ,  who  is  a  relative 
of  yours,  is  she  not  ?  Cabell  was 
extremely  fond  of  her,  and  frequently 
spent  a  Saturday  evening  or  a  Sun- 
day afternoon  at  the  house.  I  went 
several  times,  and  from  the  first  was 
much  impressed  by  her  gentleness 
and  kind  hospitality,  as  well  as  by 
her  beauty,  of  which  Cabell  was 
justly  very  proud,  she  being  his 
cousin  and  a  Kentuckian. 

"  Out  in  Annapolis  the  K s 

were  his  especial  friends,  in  those 
days,  and  I  think  they  continued  to 
be  throughout  his  whole  course. 
When  he  had  liberty  on  Saturday 
afternoons  he  usually  spent  part  of 
his  time,  at  least,  at  their  house ; 

Mrs.   K was   especially  fond 

of  him,  and  in  her  motherly  way 
contributed  a  great  deal  to  his  com- 


42   Sosepb  Cabell  36recfcinrt&ge,  Jr. 

fort  and  happiness,  I  know.  There, 
too,  he  often  met  his  friends  from 
Washington,  Baltimore,  and  else- 
where when  they  came  to  visit  An- 
napolis ;  and  you  know  better  than 
I  how  glad  he  always  was  when  any 
of  his  family  or  their  friends  came 
over  to  see  him.  He  was  like  a 
caged  animal  when  they  were  out  in 
town,  and  he  was  not  allowed  to 
leave  the  yard  ;  and  I  have  known 
him  on  several  occasions  to  "  french" 
out  anyhow  to  see  them,  even  when 
a  very  few  demerits  more  would 
make  his  case  a  serious  one.  I  need 
not  tell  you  that  this  was  one  of  his 
most  prominent  traits,  loyalty  to 
home  and  friends.  He  must  have 
had  his  family  constantly  in  his 
thoughts,  for  he  talked  to  me  a  great 
deal  of  them. 

"  But  it  was  his  nature  to  be  loyal, 
and  this  nature  was  often  shown  to 
those  outside  of  the  home  circle ;  his 
friendship  was  of  the  genuine  sort, 


at  tbe  IRaval  acaDems          43 

not  easily  shaken,  constant  through 
thick  and  thin.  He  never  betrayed 
a  friend,  come  what  might ;  and  I 
have  known  him  to  get  into  trouble 
time  and  again  through  his  efforts  to 
help  some  other  fellow  out  of  a 
scrape.  His  generosity  was  perfect ; 
all  that  he  had  he  was  willing,  and 
more  than  willing,  to  share  with  his 
friends — not  ostentatiously,  but  sim- 
ply and  naturally,  as  if  no  other 
thought  could  enter  his  mind.  And 
the  honest  faithfulness  of  his  friend- 
ship was  shown  by  the  trust  he  placed 
in  those  who  trusted  him  as  a  friend." 

The  peculiarities  of  disposition, 
which  we  need  not  hesitate  to  call 
faults,  noted  in  the  foregoing  letter, 
brought  Cabell  Breckinridge  more 
than  once  under  discipline  and 
threatened  at  one  time  to  break 
off  his  course  at  the  Academy  once 
for  all.  But  through  the  generous 
aid  of  influential  friends  he  was  rein- 


44    Sosepb  Gabell  JJtecfcinri&fle,  5r. 

stated,  and  eventually  graduated  in 
the  class  of  1895.  He  was  one  of 
those  boys  whom  every  teacher 
knows  well ;  boys  to  be  worked  over, 
grieved  over,  yet  confidently  believed 
in  ;  boys  who  are  sound  in  essen- 
tials, but  lawless  in  the  lesser  mat- 
ters of  discipline  which  detract  from 
a  boy's  character  neither  as  a  gentle- 
man nor  a  Christian,  but  often  pro- 
duce endless  discord  and  unrest.  It 
takes  time  to  teach  such  boys  that 
he  who  is  to  command  well  must 
know  how  to  obey  implicitly.  It 
takes  time,  but  they  learn  it  in  the 
end.  How  well  Cabell  Breckenridge 
learned  it  the  following  incident  will 
show. 

In  a  recent  letter  Lieutenant- 
Commander  Kimball,  of  the  Dupont, 
in  speaking  of  him,  says : 

"  He  used  to  dine  and  lunch  aboard 
this  boat  frequently,  and  as  you  may 
imagine  was  always  a  most  welcome 


at  tbe  Haval  BcaDemg         45 

guest.  A  characteristic  action  of 
Breckinridge's  was  this.  A  late 
change  in  uniform  requires  shoulder- 
straps  to  be  worn  on  the  overcoat. 
The  rest  of  us  made  the  severe  wear 
on  clothes  an  excuse  for  disregarding 
the  order  more  or  less,  on  the  ground 
that  since  we  were  not  required  to 
have  frock  coats  that  take  straps,  we 
need  not  have  these  on  the  over- 
coats. Breckinridge  wore  his  and 
^vhen  we  chaffed  him  said  with  that 
attractive,  quiet  smile  of  his  :  '  Well, 
its  regulation  and  its  not  my  lookout 
if  its  stupid.' ' 

The  development  of  the  dash  and 
daring  which  were  always  a  part  of 
his  character  is  seen  in  the  readiness 
with  which  he  faced  danger  in  these 
years.  During  his  vacation  in  the 
summer  of  1893  he  joined  his  fam- 
ily at  Fisher's  Island,  in  Long  Island 
Sound.  While  there  two  men  went 
in  swimming  just  as  a  storm  was 


46   Josepb  Cabcll  JSrechinctDge,  3r. 

coming  up,  and  soon  became  ex- 
hausted by  the  force  of  the  waves. 
They  got  on  the  diving  raft,  but  it 
was  soon  torn  from  its  anchorage, 
and  was  being  borne  out  to  sea, 
when  Cabell  Breckinridge  called  his 
younger  brother,  Ethelbert,  and  tak- 
ing a  boat  they  went  to  the  aid  of 
the  men,  and  succeeded  in  bringing 
them  safely  to  the  shore. 

During  the  storm  above-men- 
tioned the  island  was  cut  off  from 
communication  with  the  shore,  and 
a  child  suffering  from  diphtheria  was 
deprived  of  medical  services.  The 
Breckinridge  boys  volunteered  to 
nurse  the  child,  and  when  the  physi- 
cian, who  had  been  caught  on  shore, 
returned,  he  said  that  only  the  pres- 
ence of  mind,  prompt  action,  and 
careful  nursing  which  they  had  given 
had  saved  the  child's  life. 

He  saved  another  person  from 
drowning  at  Annapolis  shortly  be- 
fore his  graduation  in  1895.  A  gen- 


at  tbc  fflaval  Scafcems          47 

tleman  fell  overboard  in  the  harbor, 
and  with  characteristic  quickness  of 
thought  and  action  he  sprang  to  the 
rescue. 

But  he  had  something  more  than 
physical  courage.  He  had  all  the 
high  loyalty  to  truth  which  marks 
the  Christian  gentleman.  .  He  was 
not  ashamed  of  his  faith,  though  as 
far  as  possible  from  a  hypocrite. 
Frank  and  outspoken  in  this  as  in 
all  else,  he  was  just  as  much  and  as 
naturally  a  Christian  and  a  Presby- 
terian as  he  was  an  American  and  a 
Kentuckian.  The  words  of  Dodd- 
ridge's  beautiful  hymn  in  the  old 
Psalm-book  had  risen  too  often  for 
him  and  his  not  to  find  an  answer. 
And  when  he  was  formed,  its  prayer 

"  God  of  our  fathers,  be  the  God 
Of  their  succeeding  race," 

was,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  ful- 
filled. A  classmate  says  : 


Cabell 

"  He  rarely  spoke  of  matters  re- 
ligious, yet  from  his  lips  came  the 
most  beautiful  defence,  or  rather  ex- 
planation, of  the  Presbyterian  belief 
that  ever  put  scoffing  cadet  to  retrac- 
tion of  his  flippancy." 

On  one  occasion,  when  under  in- 
quiry for  complicity  in  "  hazing,"  he 
refused  to  make  any  concealment  of 
his  conduct  that  would  involve  any 
untruth,  and  Captain  Sigsbee  bears 
tribute  to  his  manly  conduct  during 
the  course  of  the  investigation.  He 
says: 

"  My  acquaintance  with  [him], 
save  by  reputation,  was  limited  to 
one  single  noble  act  and  example  on 
his  part  when  we  were  at  the  Naval 
Academy  together;  an  act  that  I 
have  often  called  attention  to  in  the 
service  since.  I  was  president  of  a 
hazing  court  in  which  the  tendency 
to  withhold  evidence  on  the  part  of 
some  of  the  cadets  was  most  danger- 


at  tbe  flaval  Hcafcemg          49 

ously  near  the  point  of  dishonor. 
Finally,  in  [his]  case,  a  witness  testi- 
fied that  he  (a  very  religious  boy) 
had  been  visited  by  [young  Breckin- 
ridge]  and  told  to  say  the  whole 
truth  to  the  court  without  respect  to 
its  effect  on  [his]  future.  It  was  a 
most  gratifying  act  to  the  court,  and 
I  never  lost  a  chance  to  mention  it 
in  the  Academic  Board  in  [his]  favor. 
Lieutenant  Gleaves  informs  me  that 
the  act  in  view  was  indicative  of 
[his]  whole  service  career." 

Six  feet  two  inches  tall,  an  accom- 
plished swordsman  and  horseman, 
with  all  the  attraction  of  person 
which  comes  from  good  birth  and 
breeding,  he  left  the  old  Academy 
where  he  had  spent  so  many  and 
withal  such  happy  years,  with  joyous 
anticipations  of  the  freer  life  of  the 
sailor  afloat,  and  the  larger  useful- 
ness of  the  officer  in  the  actual  exer- 
cise of  his  profession. 


CHAPTER  IV 

IN   ACTIVE   SERVICE 

"  Great  thoughts,  great  feelings,  came  to  them, 
Like  instincts,  unawares." 

— Af lines. 

^ABELL  BRECKINRIDGE 
\^j  completed  his  course  at  the 
Naval  Academy  in  June,  1895.  Un- 
der the  present  regulations  he  re- 
mained a  naval  cadet  for  two  more 
years,  spent  on  board  ship.  He  had 
already  been  for  the  usual  period  on 
board  the  practice  ships,  those  to 
which  he  was  assigned  being  the 
Cotistellation  and  the  Monongahela. 
He  was  ordered  to  the  receiving- 
50 


'Ifn  Bcttve  Service  51 

ship  Vermont,  June  24,  1895,  and 
remained  on  board  till  July  24,  1895, 
when  he  was  assigned  to  the  Mont- 
gomery. He  was  transferred  on 
October  i2th  of  the  same  year  to 
the  Texas.  His  assignment  to  the 
Texas  bears  date  of  October  14, 

1895.  The     Texas,    however,    met 
with  an  accident  in  January,  1896, 
which   required   her  to  be   docked, 
and    from  February    I  to   July  20, 

1896,  Cabell    Breckinridge   was   on 
board  the  ill-fated  Maine. 

During  these  months  of  practical 
experience  of  the  true  demands  of 
the  arduous  profession  which  he  had 
chosen  he  was  shifted  from  ship  to 
ship  to  a  somewhat  unusual  degree. 
He  had  the  opportunity  thereby  of 
meeting  an  unusual  number  of  offi- 
cers, and  he  seems  to  have  won  in  a 
very  remarkable  degree  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  all  who  met 
him.  The  service,  moreover,  which 
he  saw  was  more  than  ordinarily 


52   Josepb  Cabelt  JSi-echinrtOge,  $v. 

trying.  He  used  laughingly  to  de- 
clare that  the  government  had  done 
all  in  its  power  to  dispose  of  him. 
He  had  been  sent_to  Bar  Harbor  to 
spend  the  winter,  and  to  Florida  for 
the  summer.  What  climatic  expos- 
ure could  not  do,  he  said,  was  threat- 
ened by  the  vessels  themselves. 
Referring  especially  to  the  torpedo- 
boat  Gushing,  on  which  he  served 
after  his  promotion,  he  said  such 
craft  ought  to  be  dangerous  to  an 
enemy,  they  were  so  dangerous  to 
those  on  board  them.  He  had  sev- 
eral hard  experiences  in  the  winter 
of  1896-7,  which  was  marked  by  such 
severe  gales  on  the  coast.  But  these 
difficulties  only  developed  his  char- 
acter and  showed  the  resources  of 
his  now  rapidly  expanding  manhood. 
Of  this  period  of  his  life  one  of 
his  fellow-officers  says  : 

"  Cabell    made   a   reputation    for 
himself  that  was  most  enviable.    He 


In  active  Service  53 

was  an  efficient,  practical  officer,  and 
was  very  highly  regarded  by  all  the 
officers,  I  think  without  exception, 
under  whom  he  served.  This  is  the 
more  remarkable  because,  on  one 
ship  at  least,  a  cadet's  life  was  a 
pretty  disagreeable  one,  the  execu- 
tive officer  being  a  particularly  hard 
man  to  please,  or  even  to  get  along 
with.  Cabell  worked  hard  and  faith- 
fully there,  however,  and  by  his  zeal 
and  ability  won  the  highest  praise 
from  this  same  officer,  as  well  as 
from  his  commanding  officer." 

Not  only  was  the  respect  and 
friendship  of  his  brother -officers 
quickly  won  and  firmly  held,  but 
he  had  that  surest  test  of  efficiency, 
that  highest  proof  of  capacity  for 
leadership,  the  power  of  winning  the 
confidence  and  affection  of  the  men 
under  his  command.  On  more  than 
one  occasion  he  was  ordered  to  take 
a  volunteer  crew  on  some  dangerous 


54   Sosepb  Cabell 


and  difficult  duty.  So  ready  was 
the  response  to  every  call  he  made 
that  it  was  never  a  question  who 
would  go  with,  but  only  whom  he 
would  take  with  him. 

The  details  of  some  of  his  gallant 
acts  are  unfortunately  not  easily  ob- 
tained. A  casual  mention  in  a  letter 
home,  a  general  impression  in  the 
memory  of  a  comrade,  a  bluff  but 
tender  word  from  some  admiring 
seaman,  like  the  old  Greek,  Venis, 
who  rejoiced  to  follow  him,  are  the 
only  data  that  are  available.  From 
these  fragmentary  records  we  glean 
the  following  incidents: 

During  the  severe  storm  which 
swept  the  Atlantic  coast  in  Febru- 
ary, 1896,  Cabell  Breckinridge,  then 
on  board  the  Maine,  was  off  Old 
Point  Comfort.  Much  damage  was 
done  all  along  the  coast  by  this 
storm,  and  the  "  White  Squadron  " 
was  in  especial  peril,  and  more  than 
one  gallant  act  was  reported.  About 


In  Active  Service  55 

ten  o'clock  one  night  the  executive 
officer  was  notified  that  a  launch  had 
gone  adrift.  He  at  once  summoned 
Cadet  Breckinridge,  who  was  not  on 
duty,  and  directed  him  to  obtain  a 
volunteer  crew,  man  a  boat,  and  re- 
cover the  launch.  It  was  a  very 
stormy  night,  the  wind  was  blowing 
a  gale,  and  sheets  of  rain  and  sleet 
filled  the  air.  He  had  no  trouble  in 
selecting  from  those  who  volunteered 
a  thoroughly  capable  crew,  and  they 
set  out  on  their  perilous  quest.  It 
was  not  without  difficulty  that  the 
lost  launch  was  discovered  in  the 
darkness,  and  it  was  only  by  the  most 
exhausting  labors  that  at  last,  in 
the  gray  dawn  of  the  winter  morn- 
ing, the  worn-out  crew  were  gotten 
on  board  and  their  task  successfully 
achieved.  On  this,  as  on  some  other 
occasions,  Venis  was  his  right-hand 
man. 

About  this  time,  during  a  storm,  an 
urgent  call  was  signalled  from  Fort- 


56   Josepb  Cabell  JBrecfcinriDge,  Jr. 

ress  Monroe  for  a  priest.  The  Ro- 
man Catholic  priest  of  the  post  was 
absent,  and  a  sick  man  was  urgent 
for  spiritual  ministration.  The  storm 
was  so  severe  that  there  was  great 
hesitancy  about  sending  ashore 
Father  Chidwick,  the  chaplain  of  the 
Maine.  But  with  that  devotion  to 
duty  which  he  so  beautifully  exhib- 
ited at  Havana  when  the  Maine  was 
destroyed,  Father  Chidwick  was 
ready  to  take  any  risk.  With  the 
broad  religious  sympathy  which  in 
his  family  has  always  been  coupled 
with  intense  devotion  to  his  own 
faith,  Cabell  Breckinridge  volun- 
teered his  services,  and  the  old  Greek 
headed  the  crew,  and  Scotch  Pres- 
byterian and  Greek  Catholic  took  the 
Roman  priest  on  his  stormy  voyage 
of  religious  consolation. 

Perhaps  the  promptitude  and  en- 
ergy of  his  character  was  never  bet- 
ter shown  than  by  an  incident  which 
occurred  on  the  Texas.  Ammuni- 


In  Bcttve  Service  57 

tion  was  being  hoisted  from  the 
magazine  to  the  gun-deck.  Just  as 
it  reached  the  deck  where  it  was  to 
be  used  the  hoist  failed  to  work,  and 
instead  of  the  load  being  swung 
around  and  delivered  on  the  deck, 
it  began  to  fall  rapidly.  Had  the 
ammunition  fallen  into  the  magazine 
from  such  a  height  at  such  speed,  an 
explosion  would  have  been  inevit- 
able, and  the  stately  ship  would  have 
gone  down  with  none  to  tell  how 
she  met  her  end.  But  the  young 
cadet,  seeing  the  failure  of  the 
hoist  to  perform  its  proper  func- 
tion, seeing  the  ammunition  start 
on  its  swift  descent,  flung  himself 
upon  the  load  as  it  passed  him  and 
dashed  it  aside,  landing  it  safely  on 
the  deck.  He  was  caught,  however, 
in  the  shoulder  by  the  machinery 
and  thrown  to  one  side.  One  of  the 
men  cried,  "  My  God,  Mr.  Breckin- 
ridge  has  had  his  arm  torn  off !  " 
By  rare  good  fortune  this  proved 


53   Josepb  Cabell  JBrechinrf&0e,  3r. 

not  to  be  the  case.  His  clothing 
gave  way  and  only  the  sleeve  of  his 
coat  was  torn  away.1 

1  Mr.  Winston  Churchill,  in  an  article  upon 
the  destruction  of  Cervera's  fleet  in  the  "  Bat- 
tle of  the  3d  of  July,"  published  in  the  August 
number  of  The  Review  of  Reviews,  makes  this 
striking  reference  to  Cabell  Breckinridge,  refer- 
ring particularly  to  the  above-mentioned  episode  : 

"  The  brightest  side  of  the  simple  character 
of  our  American  sailor — the  side  upon  which  the 
people  love  best  to  dwell — is  his  tenderness,  his 
bigness  of  heart.  His  strong  arm  is  ever  ready 
to  sustain  the  helpless.  Even  in  times  of  peace 
rarely  a  week  passes  aboard  the  ships  that  death 
is  not  braved  to  save  a  comrade.  Some  of  this 
reaches  the  press,  but  the  most  of  it  does  not. 
Could  the  short  life  be  written  of  Ensign  Breck- 
inridge, who  was  swept  off  the  Gushing  as  she 
was  going  to  Havana  before  the  war  and  died 
after  his  rescue,  many  a  gilt-edged  biography 
would  pale  in  comparison.  But  three  years  out 
of  the  Academy,  he  had  taken  six  drowning  men 
from  the  sea.  Once,  when  he  was  standing  on 
the  deck  of  the  Texas,  the  ammunition  hoist 
gave  way  and  the  shot  began  falling  into  the 
powder.  From  the  edge  of  the  hatch  Mr. 
Breckinridge  threw  himself  at  the  running  bunch 
of  strands  and  was  carried  around  and  around 
until  his  clothes  were  torn  from  his  body  and  his 


In  Bctive  Service  59 

Two  years  fly  very  swiftly  amid 
such  changing  scenes,  and  their  end 
found  the  young  naval  cadet  thor- 
oughly in  love  with  his  profession. 
There  had  been  times  in  his  life  at 
Annapolis  when  he  was  inclined  to 
question  the  wisdom  of  his  choice, 
and  to  look  with  something  of  long- 
ing in  his  glance  upon  other  pro- 
fessions. But  he  had  grown  rapidly 
in  the  two  years  on  shipboard,  and 
had  come  to  full  manhood.  He  now 
realized  the  meaning  of  the  many 
demands  the  preliminary  training  of 
the  naval  officer  makes  upon  youth, 
and  was  resolved  to  show  his  ability 
to  satisfy  those  demands  to  the  full. 
In  such  a  spirit  he  left  the  Texas 
late  in  April,  1897,  and  returned  to 
Annapolis. 

hands  and  arms  were  stripped  and  bleeding. 
But  there  was  no  explosion.  And  he  was  one  of 
many.  The  charity  that  belittles  all  else  is  the 
creed  of  ward-room  and  steerage  and  forecastle, 
where  the  man  without  money  is  he  who  has  the 
most." 


CHAPTER  V 


ON   BOARD   THE   "  GUSHING 

"  To  this  military  attitude  of  the  soul  we  give 
the  name  of  Heroism.  Its  rudest  form  is  the 
contempt  for  safety  and  ease  which  makes  the 
attractiveness  of  war.  It  is  a  self  trust  which 
slights  the  restraints  of  prudence,  in  the  pleni- 
tude of  its  energy  and  power  to  repair  the  harms 
it  may  suffer." 

— Emerson. 

/~>ABELL  BRECKINRIDGE 
\_s  returned  to  Annapolis  for  his 
final  examinations  for  promotion  to 
the  rank  of  Ensign  early  in  May,  1897. 
His  two  years  of  service  afloat  had 
done  much  to  develop  his  character 
and  give  breadth  and  consistency  to 
60 


<S>n  JBoarfc  tbe  Cusbina          61 

his  plans  for  the  future.  He  had  lost 
much  of  the  spirit  of  reckless  indif- 
ference to  regulations  and  had  come 
to  realize  the  importance  of  definite 
effort  as  well  as  general  excellence 
in  the  career  which  he  had  chosen. 
He  therefore  set  about  his  examina- 
tions with  much  more  interest  and 
application  than  he  had  ever  shown 
before.  He  expressed  his  confidence 
in  his  ability  to  do  much  better  than 
he  had  ever  done  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances, and  the  consciousness 
that  he  had  gained  the  respect  and 
good-will  of  all  with  whom  he  had 
served  did  much  to  stimulate  him  to 
earnest  effort.  The  result  was  all 
that  could  have  been  desired.  He 
was  highly  complimented  by  his  ex- 
aminers upon  his  proficiency,  he  im- 
proved his  standing  many  points, 
and  took  a  much  higher  place  in  the 
roll  of  officers  of  the  same  standing 
with  himself.  It  was  a  real  vindica- 
tion, if  any  were  needed,  of  the 


62    Joseph  Gabell  JBrechtnrf£>0e,  3r. 

ability  which  he  possessed  and  which 
had  been  obscured  during  his  acad- 
emy days  by  his  indifference  to  his 
record  of  conduct  and  discipline. 

As  soon  as  his  examinations  were 
over  and  the  question  of  assignment 
became  a  definite  one,  he  found  sev- 
eral positions  open  to  him  ;  but  es- 
pecial friendship  having  sprung  up 
with  Lieutenant  Albert  Cleaves,  the 
commander  of  the  torpedo-boat 
Gushing,  Lieutenant  Cleaves  asked 
that  he  be  assigned  to  his  boat. 
Breckinridge  readily  consented  to 
this  appointment,  which  was  made. 
It  was  an  assignment  that  would  not 
have  been  sought  by  many  a  young 
officer,  as  the  torpedo  service  is  far 
less  attractive  than  service  on  board 
one  of  the  larger  ships.  There  is 
not  only  less  companionship  and 
more  work,  but  there  are  a  great 
number  of  discomforts  incident  to 
the  cramped  quarters  on  board  the 
boats,  and  the  real  suffering  occa- 


©n  JBoarO  tbe  Gusbing          63 

sioned  by  any  long  passage,  espe- 
cially if  in  a  rough  sea.  Thus,  for 
instance,  on  one  occasion  when  go- 
ing up  the  coast  the  Cashing  met 
with  such  heavy  weather  that  for 
sixteen  hours  the  crew  were  without 
food  or  sleep  and  the  discomforts 
caused  by  the  cramped  quarters 
were  very  great.  In  addition  to  all 
this,  there  was  the  danger  of  accident 
because  of  the  low  bulwark  on  such 
a  boat  and  the  frequency  with  which 
it  is  swept  by  the  sea,  and  also  the 
perilous  service  which  it  is  required 
to  render  in  time  of  war.  He,  how- 
ever, took  little  heed  of  such  matters. 
It  was  in  the  line  of  duty,  the  invita- 
tion was  an  honorable  one,  and  the 
association  pleasant ;  and  from  July 
15,  1897,  until  February  11,  1898,  he 
served  on  board  the  Gushing,  winning 
the  affection  and  esteem  of  his  com- 
manding officer. and  the  devotion  of 
her  crew.  How  well  he  conducted 
himself  may  be  gathered  from  some 


64   3o0epb  Cabell  JSrecftfnrifcge,  5r. 

of  the  tributes  of  those  best  qualified 
to  judge.  Thus,  for  instance,  Lieu- 
tenant-Commander W.  W.  Kimball, 
commanding  the  torpedo-boat  flo- 
tilla, says : 

"  He  was  always  ready  for  any 
duty  ;  eager  for  that  which  carried 
danger  with  it,  and  quickly  respon- 
sive to  the  call  of  that  which  could 
only  be  tedious  and  disagreeable.  I 
have  seen  him  jump  into  the  engine 
room  when  apparently  there  was 
imminent  danger  of  death  by  scald- 
ing, find  and  rectify  the  difficulty, 
restore  confidence  to  the  men  below, 
and  return  on  deck  with  a  quiet 
smile,  perfectly  unconscious  of  the 
fact  that  anything  remarkable  had 
been  done.  I  have  known  of  other 
instances  of  the  kind. 

"  When  in  occasional  command  of 
the  Gushing,  the  fine  seaman-like 
way  in  which  he  handled  her  de- 
manded and  received  our  sincerest 


©n  JBoarfc  tbe  Cusbinfl          65 

admiration.  The  resourcefulness 
with  which  he  met  and  overcame 
the  many  difficulties  arising  in  tor- 
pedo-boat service  excited  our  won- 
der and  delight. 

"  His  high  sense  of  duty,  his  nobil- 
ity of  character  as  a  man  and  as  an 
officer,  drew  us  to  him  very  closely." 

Commander  Kimball  has  also  pre- 
served a  letter  addressed  to  him  by 
a  Presbyterian  minister  of  Miami, 
Florida,  which  throws  a  side-light 
upon  the  life  which  he  led  during 
this  service,  depicting  it  from  a  wholly 
outside  point  of  view.  Rev.  W.  W. 
Faris  writes  as  follows  : 

"  MY  DEAR  MR.  KIMBALL  : 
"  I  am  greatly  grieved  to  hear  of 
Mr.  Breckinridge's  death.  By  the 
published  accounts  it  appears  that 
death  seized  him  fronting,  with 
simple,  manly  courage,  the  perils 
of  ordinary  duty  under  uncommon 


66   Joseph  Cafcell  ffirecfcfnrifrge,  $r. 

emergency.  Such  a  death  is  as  heroic 
as  though  encountered  in  battle  : 
faithful  service  is  not  contingent  on 
circumstance  for  its  nobility.  It  is 
the  man  who  can  be  counted  on 
every  day,  in  humdrum  routine, 
who  rises  to  occasion  when  occasion 
calls,  however  unexpected  the  form 
in  which  the  call  comes. 

"  I  had  little  thought  when  at  the 
banquet  I  alluded  to  the  superiority 
of  living  well  over  living  long,  and  to 
the  fact  that  the  Navy  teaches  us  all 
the  lesson  that  we  are  under  orders 
from  a  Superior,  that  illustration 
such  as  this  would  come  so  soon 
and  so  strikingly. 

"  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
Mr.  Breckinridge  on  deck  that  morn- 
ing, and  of  a  few  moments'  pleasant 
converse  with  him.  He  seemed  to 
me  a  straightforward,  manly,  earnest 
man,  without  either  false  or  careless 
ring  in  his  speech — a  worthy  scion 
of  the  distinguished  family  to  which 


<S>n  JBoarfc  tbe  Cusbing         67 

he  belonged,  and  as  worthy  a  mem- 
ber of  the  honorable  profession  in 
whose  service  he  laid  down  his  life." 

In  the  course  of  the  winter  more 
than  one  trying  service  fell  to  the 
young  Ensign's  lot.  On  one  occa- 
sion the  dishing  shipped  a  heavy 
sea,  which  swept  him  off  his  feet ; 
but  he  was  fortunate  enough  to 
catch  the  life-lines,  which  in  this  case 
proved  strong  and  did  not  give  way, 
as  on  a  later  occasion  they  were 
destined  to  do.  Throughout  all  these 
months  of  hard  service  he  devoted 
himself  with  uncomplaining  vigor  to 
every  task  until  his  superior  officers 
had  to  admonish  him  that  he  was 
overtaxing  his  strength  by  excessive 
zeal.  Such,  unfortunately,  was  the 
case,  and  it  is  more  than  likely  that 
when,  on  the  morning  of  February 
nth,  the  Gushing  set  sail  from  Key 
West  for  Havana,  he  was  below  a 
normal  condition  of  strength. 


68   Joseph  Cabell  JBrecfcfnrf&0e,  3r. 

Thus  Lieutena'nt  -Commander 
Kimball,  in  a  letter  bearing  date 
March  26,  1898,  says: 

"  Before  we  parted  company  with 
the  Gushing  we  none  of  us  liked 
Breck's  looks,  and  several  of  us 
cautioned  him  about  overworking. 
Indeed,  Gleaves  rebuked  him  for 
working  himself  down,  and  insisted 
upon  his  having  medical  advice. 
Breckinridge  said  he  was  a  bit  stale, 
or  words  to  that  effect,  and  scoffed 
at  the  idea  of  his  working  too  hard  ; 
but  took  medical  advice,  and  used  a 
tonic.  For  myself,  I  did  not  like  the 
way  he  acted  at  St.  Augustine,  in 
that  he  did  not  go  in  for  the  social 
amusement  as  I  would  have  liked  to 
see  him  do.  However,  he  was  always 
rather  quiet  and  dignified,  and  his 
action  there  made  no  deep  impres- 
sion. 

"  After  arriving  here  at  Key  West, 
on  3  ist  December,  the  Gushing  had 


S»ti  JSoarfc  tbe  Cugbing         69 

seven  days'  work  on  repairs,  and 
Breckinridge  was  closely  attentive  to 
them.  He  looked  haggard  and  worn 
to  me,  but  he  insisted  that  he  was 
all  right,  and  that  any  way  he  was  not 
working  too  hard.  After  I  left  for 
Tampa,  meeting  the  Gushing  return- 
ing, the  Gushing  had  hard  duty  on 
despatch  work  up  to  the  time  she 
left  for  Havana.  Cleaves  tells  me 
that  Breckinridge  looked  no  more 
tired,  but  I  imagine  that  in  his  un- 
satisfactory state  of  strength  the 
duty  pulled  him  more  than  he  knew." 

The  tragedy  which  was  destined  to 
bring  to  an  untimely  end  the  prom- 
ising career  of  this  gallant  boy  can- 
not better  be  told  than  it  is  told  in 
the  letter  which  the  commander  of 
the  Gushing,  Lieutenant  Gleaves, 
penned  on  the  evening  of  the  disas- 
ter. He  writes : 


70   $osepb  dabell  jsrechtnrt00e,  3t. 

"  9  P.M. 

"  Torpedo-Boat  Gushing, 
"  HAVANA,  CUBA, 

"  February  n,  1898. 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  BRECKIN- 
RIDGE : 

"  It  is  with  profound  grief  that  I 
have  to  inform  you  of  the  details 
concerning  the  loss  of  your  incom- 
parable son. 

"  The  Gushing  received  orders  last 
night  from  Admiral  Sicard,  acting 
under  telegraphic  orders  from  the 
Navy  Department,  to  proceed  to 
Havana  this  morning.  We  left  the 
dock  at  Key  West  at  7.10  A.M.,  run- 
ning at  a  speed  of  fifteen  knots.  In 
the  straits  we  found  a  fresh  breeze 
from  E.  N.  E.  and  a  moderate  sea, 
both  wind  and  sea  going  down  after 
two  heavy  rain-squalls.  About  11.30 
A.M.  the  breeze  freshened  again,  and 
the  sea  became  very  heavy.  About 
a  half-hour  after  noon  the  coast  of 
Cuba  was  sighted,  but  the  sea  by 
that  time  was  so  heavy  that  the 


<S»ti  JBoarfc  tbc  Cuabtng          71 

Gushing  was  brought  head  to  it,  or 
nearly  so,  and  the  engine  slowed  to 
about  nine  and  a  half  knots.  Your 
son  was  standing  on  the  lee  side 
(starboard)  forward,  just  abaft  the 
funnel.  I  was  aft  on  the  same  side, 
by  the  signal  mast.  During  this  time 
we  frequently  talked  together,  I 
going  to  him,  or  he  coming  aft ; 
twice,  when  both  of  us  were  together 
near  the  signal  mast,  green  seas 
swept  over  the  boat,  drenching  us 
both.  Extra  life-lines  had  been 
stretched  fore  and  aft.  About  1.30 
your  son  started  aft  again  to  speak 
to  me,  when  suddenly  the  boat  was 
thrown  violently  to  leeward,  and 
your  son  was  thrown  against  the  life- 
lines along  the  rail.  He  clutched 
the  ridge-rope,  which  was  just  above 
his  head,  but  the  copper  rope  (three 
eighths  inch),  which  was  about  on  a 
level  with  his  knees,  parted  under 
the  strain,  and  his  feet  slipping  on 
the  wet  deck,  went  from  under  him  ; 


72   5osepb  Cabell 


at  the  same  time  he  lost  hold  of  the 
ridge-rope,  and  went  overboard. 
Just  as  the  accident  happened  he 
turned  toward  me,  gave  the  sweetest 
smile  I  ever  saw  on  the  face  of  a 
man,  and  disappeared  over  the  side 
without  a  sound.  The  engines  were 
stopped  at  once  and  the  lee  boat 
cleared  away,  the  ship  turning  to- 
ward your  son.  At  this  instant  the 
after  boat-davit  bent  under  the 
weight  of  the  two  men  who  had  re- 
sponded instantly  to  the  cry  ;  the 
after-fall  slacking  in  consequence  of 
the  davit  bending  lowered  the  stern 
of  the  boat,  which  another  sea  im- 
mediately half  filled,  precipitating 
both  of  the  crew  into  the  water.  Or- 
ders were  given  to  cut  the  forward 
fall  to  let  the  boat  go  clear  ;  one 
man  was  hauled  on  board,  the  boat 
turned  keel  up  with  the  other,  who 
climbed  on  the  keel  and  attempted 
to  paddle  with  his  hands  toward 
your  son,  who  was  now  right  ahead, 


tbe  Cusbins          73 

or  nearly  so,  of  the  boat,  the  ship 
having  been  turned  by  the  engines 
for  this  purpose.  It  was  now  ob- 
served that  the  boat  was  badly  stove, 
and  the  man  on  it  was  hauled  on 
board.  The  Gushing  was  now  close 
to  your  son,  who  was  on  his  back, 
floating  and  still  swimming.  A 
third  life  preserver  was  thrown  him, 
which  fell  about  three  yards  from 
him  ;  also  a  line  which  fell  short.  I 
sang  out  to  him  not  to  give  up,  that 
we  would  pick  him  up,  and  the  Cush- 
ing  was  laid  close  alongside  of  him. 
Just  before  reaching  him,  however, 
a  tremendous  breaking  sea  broke 
over  him,  and  when  it  passed  he  was 
lying  on  his  face  with  his  face  under 
water.  He  was  not  more  than  thirty 
feet  distant,  and  at  this  moment 
John  Everetts,  gunner's  mate,  who 
had  been  in  the  swamped  boat,  dived 
from  the  forecastle  with  a  line, 
reached  him,  and  secured  the  line 
around  his  body;  then  Daniel  At' 


74   Joscpb  Cabelt  JBrcchinriOgc,  5r. 

kins,  the  ship's  cook,  jumped  over- 
board, and  assisted  Everetts  in 
securing  the  line.  Your  son  and  the 
two  men  were  now  right  alongside 
of  the  Gushing,  and  were  hauled  on 
board  with  great  difficulty.  I  forgot 
to  say  that  the  instant  the  cry  of 
man  overboard  was  given,  two  life- 
preservers  were  thrown  very  close  to 
your  son,  but  his  movements  were 
impeded  by  his  rain  clothes.  He 
got  rid  of  his  boots  as  soon  as  he 
fell,  but  of  course  could  not  divest 
himself  of  his  coat ;  it  was  the  air 
under  it,  however,  that  kept  him 
afloat.  From  the  time  that  the  ac- 
cident happened  until  the  line  was 
secured  around  him  it  was  not  more 
than  ten  minutes.  But  it  was  at 
least  five  minutes  more  before  we 
could  get  him  out  of  the  water. 
Everything  that  was  possible  to  do 
to  resuscitate  him  was  done  ;  every- 
thing in  the  aid  to  the  apparently 
drowned  was  done  continuously,  but 


©ii  £onrd  tbe  flushing          75 

I  am  forced  to  say  that  I  am  of  the 
opinion  that  your  son  was  suffocated 
before  we  reached  him.  It  had  been 
expected  to  reach  Havana  about 
1.30  this  P.M.,  but  slowing  in  the 
heavy  sea,  and  afterwards  the  same 
thing,  in  order  to  keep  the  boat  as 
quiet  as  possible  in  the  first  hour's 
attempts  at  resuscitation,  caused  a 
great  deal  of  time  to  be  lost,  so  that 
we  did  not  reach  Havana  until  3 
P.M.,  although  the  fires  under  the 
second  boiler  had  been  started,  and 
the  greatest  speed  that  the  sea  would 
permit  was  used. 

"  Upon  entering  the  harbor  an 
urgent  signal  was  made  to  the  U.  S. 
S.  Maine  to  send  her  surgeon ;  her 
assistant  promptly  responded,  the 
surgeon  being  on  shore,  but  Captain 
Sigsbee,  of  the  Maine,  sent  out  mes- 
sengers for  him,  and  also  for  an 
American  doctor  well  known  here, 
Dr.  Burgess.  The  Maine's  surgeon 
could  not  be  found  for  some  time, 


76   Josepb  Cabell  ;flkecfetnrt&0e,  Jr. 

but  Dr.  Burgess,  an  elderly  man  and 
a  practitioner  of  considerable  repu- 
tation, was  soon  on  board,  and  the 
work  of  resuscitation  which  began  at 
1.45  and  had  been  uninterruptedly 
continued  until  the  arrival  of  Dr. 
Burgess,  was  not  abandoned  until 
5  P.M.  Electricity  was  used,  and 
nothing  was  left  undone." 

We  can  read  between  the  lines  of 
this  letter  enough  to  tell  how  much 
this  young  officer  had  endeared  him- 
self to  all  those  with  whom  he  served. 
His  commanding  officer  has  said  of 
him  elsewhere,  that  he  was  one  of 
the  most  zealous  and  efficient  offi- 
cers in  the  navy,  and  that  he  was 
loved  alike  by  men  and  officers ;  that 
in  all  his  experience  he  had  never 
seen  such  devotion  as  was  shown  by 
the  crew  of  the  Gushing  at  the  time 
of  the  accident.  Speaking  for  him- 
self he  says :  "  I  loved  him  for  his 
fearless  candor,  for  his  noble  quali- 


©n  JBoarfc  tbe  Curbing          77 

ties,  and  his  unwavering  steadfast- 
ness." The  conduct  of  the  crew, 
exceptional  as  it  was,  is  more  elo- 
quent even  than  these  tender  words. 
It  has  been  wondered  at  that  the 
colored  cook  of  the  boat  should  have 
ventured  his  life  in  such  a  sea  for  the 
young  officer.  But  Ensign  Breckin- 
ridge  had  done  him  one  of  those 
services  which  he  was  so  swift  and 
apt  to  render,  and  had  saved  his  life 
on  one  occasion  when  hunting  on 
shore,  and  he  had  won  the  fearless 
devotion  of  his  humble  associate. 
In  this,  as  in  every  instance  in  his 
brief  career,  he  exhibited  remarkable 
power  in  winning  the  affection  and 
securing  the  following  of  all  those 
whom  he  was  called  upon  to  lead. 

A  further  communication  dictated 
by  the  Greek  sailor,  Venis  (with  in- 
terpolations by  the  shipmate  who 
wrote  it),  who  has  already  been  sev- 
eral times  referred  to,  further  illus- 
trates this  quality. 


78   Josepb  Cabell  aSi-ecftinrtDge,  5r. 

"U.  S.  S.  Texas. 
"  Off  DRY  TORTUGAS,  FLORIDA. 

"  March  10,  1898. 

"  SIR  : 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge, 
with  much  gratitude,  the  receipt  of 
the  copy  of  the  Lexington,  Ky., 
paper  containing  the  account  of  the 
funeral  services  and  life  incidents  of 
your  late  esteemed  son,  Ensign  J.  C. 
Breckinridge,  U.  S.  N.  Being  a  sea- 
man and  no  penman,  you  will  pardon 
my  briefly  expressing  my  sympathy 
through  one  of  my  shipmates. 

"  As  related,  I  have  twice  had  the 
honor  of  assisting  your  son  in  saving 
the  life  of  others  and,  in  my  own 
homely  expression,  had  we  been 
together  during  his  last  peril,  '  I 
get  him  or  we  both  go  down  to- 
gether.' 

"  I  know  of  no  greater  appreciation 
of  his  courage  and  chivalry  than 
this  honest  expression  of  the  '  old 
Greek.' 


<Sm  JBoarfr  tbe  Gusbittfl          79 

"  Pray  believe  me,  with  great  sym- 
pathy for  you  in  our  common  loss. 

"  The  Old  Greek, 
"  GEORGE  VENIS. 

"  P.  S.  The  signature  is  that  of 
George  Venis. 

"  General  J.  C.  Breckinridge, 
"  1314  Connecticut  Avenue, 
"  Washington,  D.  C." 

Every  effort  at  resuscitation  hav- 
ing proved  vain,  the  body  of  the 
young  ensign  was  borne  to  the  beau- 
tiful battleship  in  the  harbor  of 
Havana.  Here  a  brief  burial  service 
was  held,  Father  Chidwick,  who 
had  served  with  him  on  the  ship, 
making  a  very  beautiful  and  touching 
address. 

Lieutenant  Gleaves  writing  from 
the  dishing  at  Key  West,  Florida, 
May  7,  1898,  pays  the  following 
tribute  to  his  young  comrade  : 


so   3osepb  Cabell  JBrechinriO^c,  Jr. 

"  My  acquaintance  with  Midship- 
man Breckinridge  began  in  the  fall 
of  1895,  when  he  was  ordered  to  the 
U.  S.  S.  Texas.  He  was  assigned  to 
my  division  of  great  guns,  as  one  of 
the  junior  officers,  and  served  as  such 
for  fifteen  months.  During  this 
period  of  routine  service  he  won  the 
confidence  and  admiration  of  all  his 
seniors  by  the  faithfulness  and  zeal 
with  which  he  performed  his  duties, 
often  under  most  trying  circumstan- 
ces. A  Midshipman's  life  at  best  on 
a  large  ship  is  full  of  trials,  his  duties 
are  innumerable  and  varied  to  a  de- 
gree, and  not  infrequently  of  a  nature 
to  weary  and  discourage  the  most 
enthusiastic.  But  I  never  knew 
Breckinridge  to  fail  in  the  most  in- 
significant task.  Whatever  he  was 
ordered  to  do,  he  did  thoroughly. 
He  dignified  every  duty  he  per- 
formed. 

"  His  professional  development 
was  remarkable,  and  was  often  the 


©n  3i3oarD  tbe  Gusbing          81 

subject  of  comment  and  praise.  I 
considered  him  the  most  capable  and 
most  competent  young  officer  I  had 
ever  served  with. 

"  One  cold  stormy  night  when  at 
anchor  off  Staten  Island,  one  of  the 
boats  went  adrift  in  the  gale,  and  as 
officer  of  the  deck  I  had  to  send  out 
a  search  party.  It  was  past  mid- 
night and  Breckinridge  was  off  duty, 
but  I  knew  that  he  was  the  one  to 
find  the  lost  launch.  He  appeared 
on  deck  with  characteristic  prompt- 
ness and  willingness,  eager  for  any- 
thing that  scented  of  unusual  work, 
and  although  he  did  not  get  back  for 
four  hours,  and  then  drenched  by 
rain  and  sea,  and  thoroughly  chilled, 
he  reported  his  return  with  the  boat 
as  cheerfully  as  if  he  had  been  to  a 
pleasure  party — and  to  him  it  was  a 
pleasure  party.  He  knew  not  fear, 
and  he  loved  danger  and  personal 
risk.  It  was  his  nature. 

"  After  his  final  graduation,  I  wrote 


82    Josepb  Cabell  JSrecftinriOac,  3r. 

a  letter  to  the  Navy  Department 
asking  as  a  special  favor  that  he  be 
detailed  for  the  dishing,  knowing  his 
special  value  for  such  service,  and  on 
the  1 5th  of  July,  1898,  he  reported 
on  board  at  Newport.  From  that 
time,  he  found  himself  in  a  profes- 
sional atmosphere  that  was  most 
pleasant  to  him.  His  duties  as  Ex- 
ecutive Officer  expanded  his  oppor- 
tunities and  presented  a  wide  field 
in  which  to  work  out  new  experi- 
ences. He  was  equal  to  every  emer- 
gency, and  during  the  cruise  many 
arose,  calling  from  him  nerve,  cool- 
ness, and  judgment. 

"  Life  on  a  torpedo-boat  is  one  of 
such  close  intimacy,  that  it  is  as  if 
one  lived  constantly  under  the  search- 
light of  critical  inspection,  and  it  is 
an  exceptional  character  that  can 
bear  the  scrutiny,  and  such  was  the 
character  of  Cabell  Breckinridge.  It 
was  stainless,  without  fear  and  with- 
out reproach.  He  loved  honor  and 


©n  JBoarO  tbe  Cusbina          83 

truth,  and  the  soul  of  man.  His 
strength  was  as  the  strength  of  ten, 
because  his  heart  was  pure.  In  his 
last  hour,  his  death  became  his  life, 
and  he  met  his  terrible  fate  with 
the  courage  of  a  hero,  a  smile  upon 
his  face,  and  his  lips  sealed. 

"  Not  altogether  has  he  died,  for 
he  still  lives  in  the  hearts  of  those 
who  knew  and  loved  him." 

Thus  it  was  his  fate  to  be  the  first 
to  give  his  life  in  the  honorable  ef- 
fort our  great  liberty-loving  Republic 
is  making  to  put  down  misrule  and 
rebellion  in  the  Pearl  of  the  Antilles. 
He  knew  the  expedition  on  which 
he  was  about  to  sail  was  likely  to  be 
perilous,  and  just  before  sailing  he 
sent  his  father  a  paper  containing  his 
last  instructions.  He  showed  in  this 
paper  many  of  his  characteristic 
traits,  his  thoughtfulness  for  others, 
his  tender  affection  for  his  family, 
his  serene  faith,  and  his  interest  in 


84   $o0epb  aabell  3Br.ecfctnii00e,  Jr. 

God's  service.1  He  could  not  foresee 
how  soon  he  was  to  be  called  on  for 
the  last  simple  service.  He  expected, 
no  doubt,  that  he  might  be  called  on 
to  meet  Spanish  treachery  and  to 
give  his  life  as  his  comrades  of  the 
Maine  gave  theirs  a  few  days  later  ; 
or  with  a  hero's  hope  he  looked  for- 
ward to  some  such  scene  as  was  en- 
acted but  a  little  later  in  the  harbor 
of  Manila  when  Commodore  Dewey 
led  his  gallant  men  to  glorious  deeds 
in  the  storm  of  shot  and  shell  that 
for  almost  the  last  time  preached 
Spain's  age-long  gospel  of  chains  and 
slavery.  Not  less  truly  than  they,  he 
gave  his  life  for  his  country  and  the 
cause  of  human  liberty.  His  was  the 
love,  the  faith,  the  devotion,  the  ser- 
vice, the  sacrifice.  Let  his  also  be  the 
tribute  of  honor,  and  his  life  and 
death  the  inspiration  of  those  who 
shall  hear  the  story  of  his  brief  career. 

1  The  Presbyterian  Church  at  Annapolis  was 
made  his  residuary  legatee. 


On  JBoarC*  tbe  Cnsbfiui          85 

His  body  was  brought  from  Ha- 
vana to  New  York  in  the  steamship 
Seneca,  where  it  was  met  by  his 
friends  and  taken  to  Kentucky.  He 
was  buried  February  iQth,  in  the 
beautiful  Lexington  Cemetery,  in  the 
midst  of  memorials  of  generations 
of  his  people,  and  just  at  the  feet  of 
his  father's  younger  brother,  Captain 
Charles  Henry  Breckinridge,  whose 
life  was  also  given  to  his  country  at 
the  call  of  duty,  and  whose  death 
has  been  a  stirring  influence  in  the 
heart  of  more  than  one  kinsman. 
So  with  the  bugle  of  a  comrade 
blowing  for  him  the  last  tattoo,  he 
was  laid  in  his  long  resting-place,  to 

"  Sleep  in  peace  with  kindred  ashes 

Of  the  noble  and  the  true, 
Hands  that  never  failed  their  country, 
Hearts  that  never  baseness  knew." 

A  youthful  soldier  in  his  country's 
service,  he  had  longer  served  under 
a  higher  Leader  than  any  earthly 


86   5osepb  Cabell 


chief.  And  the  loved  ones  who  left 
his  body  there  to  silence  and  the 
grave,  knew  that  he 

'  '  Gave 

His  body  to  that  pleasant  country's  earth, 
And  his  pure  soul  unto  his  captain  Christ, 
Under  whose  colors  he  had  fought  so  long." 


FINIS. 


APPENDICES 

I 

REPORT  OF  LIEUT.  ALBERT  CLEAVES 

UPON  THE  LOSS  OF  ENSIGN  J.  C. 

BRECKINRIDGE 

"U.  S.  T.  B.  Gushing. 
HAVANA,  CUBA,  Feby.  i2th,  1898. 

SIR: 

1.  It  is  my  painful  duty  to  report  that 
while  making  a  passage  from  Key  West, 
Florida,  to  this  port,  yesterday,  February 
nth,  Ensign  J.  C.  Breckinridge,  U.  S. 
Navy,  fell  overboard  and  was  drowned. 

2.  The  Gushing  sailed  from  Key  West 
at  7.10  A.M.,  the  wind  at  the  time  being 
fresh  from  E.  N.  E.     As  soon  as  San 
Key  light-house  was  cleared,   and  the 
course  set  for  Havana,  a  moderate  sea 

87 


88    ^osepb  dabell  JSrechinriOge,  5v. 

was  encountered,  which  continued  to 
increase  until  about  ten  o'clock,  when 
the  vessel  passed  through  two  heavy  rain- 
squalls.  Immediately  succeeding  the 
squalls,  the  wind  and  sea  moderated 
quickly,  the  wind  dying  away  almost 
entirely,  and  hauling  to  E.  by  S. 
About  1 1. 30  both  wind  and  sea  again 
increased,  the  wind  going  back  to  E.  N. 
E.  and  blowing  a  fresh  gale.  The  sea 
soon  became  so  heavy,  that  when  about 
12.15  P-M- tne  coast  of  Cuba  was  sighted, 
it  became  necessary  to  slow  the  vessel 
from  about  fifteen  knots  to  about  nine 
knots,  and  head  her  up  to  the  sea, 
which  was  then  running  from  the  east,  or 
E.  N.  E.,  as  near  as  could  be  judged, 
but  it  was  confused  and  irregular. 
Twice  green  seas  swept  the  deck. 

3.  About  1.30  P.M.  Ensign  Breckin- 
ridge,  who  was  standing  just  abaft  the 
forward  smoke-stack  on  the  starboard 
side,  turned  to  come  aft,  when  the  Gush- 
ing suddenly  gave  a  heavy  roll  to  lee- 
ward, and  he  was  thrown  out  against  the 
life-lines.  Extra  heavy  life-lines  had 


89 


been  stretched  before  leaving  port,  and 
the  ridge  -  rope  was  in  place.  He 
clutched  the  ridge-rope,  his  body  strik- 
ing the  two  3/8"  copper  life-lines  lower 
down.  Both  these  lines  parted  :  his  feet 
slipped  from  under  him  on  the  wet  deck, 
he  lost  hold  of  the  ridge-rope,  and,  with- 
out a  cry,  went  overboard. 

4.  I  was  standing  by  the  signal  mast 
on  the  starboard  side  and  witnessed  the 
accident,  which  occurred  very  quickly. 

5.  The      engines     were      instantly 
stopped,  two  life-buoys  thrown  to   Mr. 
Breckinridge,  both  of  which  fell  within 
two  or  three  yards  of  him,  but   were 
swept  away  by  the  sea. 

6.  The  helm  had  been  ported  as  soon 
as  the  accident  occurred,  and  the  lee 
boat    cleared    away  and    rigged    out. 
Lookouts  were  stationed  with   orders 
not  to  lose  sight  for  an  instant  of  the 
unfortunate  officer. 

7.  Two  men,  John  Everetts,   G.  M., 
ist  Class,  and  Frank  Coppage,  seaman, 
jumped  into  the  life-boat,  but  at  this 
instant  the  after  davit  bent  in  its  sock- 


go   5osepb  Cabell  JBrechtnriDge,  Jr. 

ets,  thus  causing  the  after-fall  to  slack 
and  lower  the  stern  of  the  boat,  which 
the  sea  almost  filled,  and  the  boat 
swamped  alongside.  Coppage  was 
hauled  on  board,  but  Everetts  insisted 
upon  remaining  in  the  boat ;  the  for- 
ward-fall was  cut  adrift,  and  the  boat  at 
once  capsized,  Everetts  climbing  on  the 
keel  and  making  an  effort  to  paddle 
with  his  hands  towards  Mr.  Breckin- 
ridge,  who  was  now  close  aboard,  float- 
ing on  his  back,  his  hands  moving,  but 
showing  no  other  signs  of  consciousness. 
Another  life-buoy  was  thrown  which  fell 
close  to  his  head,  and  a  line  which  fell 
short.  At  the  same  time  he  was  en- 
couraged from  the  Gushing,  that  he 
would  be  rescued,  and  also  told  that  the 
life-buoy  was  close  to  him  ;  but  he  gave 
no  signs  of  hearing. 

8.  As  soon  as  possible,  after  the  en- 
gines were  stopped,  they  were  started 
again,  the  port  ahead,  the  starboard 
astern,  but  when  the  boat  swamped  with 
the  men  in  it,  they  were  again  stopped, 
until  the  boat  was  clear  of  the  ship,  and 


91 


then  started  again,  thus  bringing  Mr. 
Breckinridge  on  the  starboard  bow,  but 
the  boat  was  almost  under  the  cutwater, 
when  the  engines  were  again  stopped, 
and  a  line  thrown  to  Everetts,  who  was 
hauled  on  board.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  the  third  life-buoy  was  thrown  to 
Mr.  Breckinridge.  The  Cushing  con- 
tinued to  turn  head  to  sea  by  means  of 
helm  and  engines,  and  laid  within  thirty 
feet  of  Mr.  Breckinridge.  Just  before 
we  reached  him  a  tremendous  breaking 
sea  swept  over  him,  and  when  it  passed 
he  was  floating  face  down,  his  face 
under  the  water. 

John  Everetts,  with  a  heavy  line  in 
his  hand,  dived  from  the  turtle-back, 
seized  Mr.  Breckinridge  and  secured 
the  line  around  his  body.  At  this  time 
Daniel  Atkins,  ship's  cook,  jumped 
overboard  to  assist  Everetts.  It  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  Mr.  Breckin- 
ridge, Everetts  and  Atkins  were  gotten 
aboard. 

9.  From  the  time  that  Mr.  Breckin- 
ridge fell  overboard  until  the  men  were 


92   $osepb  Cabell 


all  picked  up,  cannot  be  accurately 
stated,  but  it  was  probably  not  longer 
than  fifteen  minutes. 

10.  Everything  that  was  possible   to 
be  done  to  resuscitate  Mr.  Breckinridge 
was  practiced   from   the   time  he  was 
picked  up  until  5  P.M.,  without  a  mo- 
ment's interruption. 

When  Mr.  Breckinridge  fell  overboard 
he  had  on  his  rain  coat  and  rubber 
boots  ;  the  latter  he  got  off. 

11.  After  the   accident   the    Gushing 
steamed    slowly   to    the    eastward    for 
nearly  an  hour,  in  order  to  make  the 
work  of  resuscitation  as  comfortable  as 
possible. 

12.  At  2.30   P.M.,  fires  having  been 
lighted  in  the  after  boiler,  and  the  sea 
having  somewhat  moderated,  the  vessel 
was  headed  to  the  westward  under  all 
possible  steam,  and  arrived  off  Morro 
Castle  at  3  P.M. 

13.  Assistance   from    the   U.    S.    S. 
Maine  was  immediately  obtained,  and 
shortly  afterwards  assistance  from  shore, 
and  as  stated  above,  the  effort  to  restore 
life  was  not  abandoned  until  5  P.M. 


93 

14.  By  the  death  of  Ensign  Breckin- 
ridge,  the  service  loses  a  young  officer 
of  rare  merit  and  exceptional  ability  ; 
one  who  gave  every  promise  of  a  useful 
and  brilliant  career. 

15.  The   gallant    conduct    of    John 
Everetts  and    Daniel   Atkins  deserves 
special  commendation  and  recognition. 

Very  respectfully, 
(sig.)  ALBERT  GLEAVES, 
Lieutenant  U.  S.  Navy,  Commanding 

Gushing. 

Captain  Charles  D.  Sigsbee,  U.  S.  Navy, 
Commanding  U.  S.  S.  Maine,  and 
Senior  Officer  Present." 


II 


FUNERAL  SERMON  BY  REV.  WALLACE 
RADCLIFFE,  D.D.,  AT  LEXINGTON, 
KENTUCKY,  FEBRUARY  19,  1898, 
IN  MEMORY  OF  ENSIGN  J.  C.  BRECK- 
INRIDGE 


THE  day  even  in  its  natural  decline 
is  prophetic.  Its  sentiment  is  one 
of  sadness  and  fear.  The  usual  twilight 
brings  the  retrospect  of  incompleteness, 
and  often  the  sad  and  pathetic  forebod- 
ing. It  is  therefore  more  impressive 
when  we  realize  the  prophecy  of  Amos, 
"  I  will  cause  the  sun  to  go  down  at 
noon,  and  will  darken  the  earth  in  the 
clear  day."  The  bereavement  of  to-day 
94 


fff  95 


is  in  the  darkness  and  pathos  of  a  noon- 
day eclipse.  This  life,  to  the  common 
apprehension,  had  not  lived  out  half  its 
days.  In  its  death  the  sun  has  gone 
down  at  noon.  Of  an  honored  name,  of 
distinguished  lineage,  with  natural  and 
winning  gifts  of  body,  mind,  and  char- 
acter, and  in  the  recent  completion  of 
his  preparatory  work,  we  all  recognized 
its  opportunity  and  laudable  ambition  of 
higher  usefulness,  enduring  activity  and 
large  renown.  But  in  the  very  moment, 
unexpectedly,  there  comes  extinguish- 
ment, darkness,  and  the  end.  It  all 
seems  a  mistake,  a  failure,  a  disaster. 
Naturally,  loved  ones  wait  in  despair, 
refusing  to  be  comforted.  But  when 
the  sun  goes  down  off  this  world  it  rises 
on  other  and  brighter  worlds.  Its  mis- 
sion is  to  richer  experiences  and  more 
beneficent  results.  The  sun  itself  is  not 
lost.  Light  is  not  destroyed.  If  this 
ends  all,  then  life  is  a  failure.  If  we 
enter  into  the  opportunities,  exhilara- 
tions, and  ambitions  of  the  present  ex- 
istence only  to  have  them  snatched  away 


Cabell  JBrecfetnrtDge, 


in  the  moment  of  realization,  then  this 
life  is  not  worth  living. 

But  this  life  is  not  all.  The  sun  that 
here  goes  down  rises  on  other  worlds. 
Out  of  the  present  life-work,  however 
short,  come  character,  and  preparation, 
and  experiences  for  other  worlds  and 
more  enduring  service.  It  is  not  for  us 
to  interpret  the  individual  and  isolated 
affliction.  This  we  know,  that  every  ex- 
perience will  have  its  interpretation  and 
this  interpretation  will  be  love,  and  the 
end  will  be  life.  "What  I  do  thou 
knowest  not  now,  but  thou  shalt  know 
hereafter."  We  must  guard  ourselves 
against  the  subtlety  of  selfish  sorrow. 
Around  all  individual  experiences  swings 
the  circle  of  the  only  infinite  wisdom.  We 
are  to  abide  in  the  assurance  of  wisdom 
beyond  our  own,  and  of  intent  beyond 
the  limitations  of  our  momentary  vision. 
We  must  remember  and  assume  the 
right  standpoint.  The  unbeliever  judges 
the  character  of  God  by  the  trying  dis- 
pensation. The  believer  judges  the  try- 
ing dispensation  by  the  character  of  God. 


appendix  Iff  97 

Be  sure  there  is  no  accident,  no  chance, 
no  fate.  The  finger  of  God  has  traced 
every  step.  It  is  not  for  us  to  know  the 
end  from  the  beginning.  All  things 
minister  to  us,  and  for  us,  whilst  we  look 
at  the  unseen  and  eternal  things.  Even 
Jesus  prayed  that  if  it  were  possible,  the 
cup  might  pass  from  him  ;  but  mark  the 
submission  and  perfectness  of  his  faith  : 
"  Not  my  will,  but  Thine."  Then  out 
of  that  cup  came  not  only  bitterness 
but  strength,  conquest,  ascension,  gifts 
and  eternal  life.  The  cup  of  bitterness 
had  intimate  association  with  the  cross. 
But  to  him  who  drinks  it  with  Christ's 
lips  it  has  just  as  intimate  association 
with  the  beauty  of  resurrection  and  the 
glory  of  ascension. 

None  of  us  knows  what  God  is  doing 
with  us.  Always  He  is  wise.  Always 
He  is  fatherly.  Always,  if  we  will,  He 
is  ordaining  grace  and  unexpected  and 
enlarging  blessing.  You  will  remember 
the  sore  and  reproachful  lamentation 
of  Jacob  :  "  Joseph  is  not ;  Simeon 
is  not,  and  ye  will  take  Benjamin 


Sosepb  Cabell 


away.  All  these  things  are  against 
me." 

And  yet  all  these  things  were  not 
against  him.  All  these  things  were  for 
him  though  he  knew  it  not.  If  God  had 
responded  to  the  immediate  desire  of 
Jacob,  Joseph  and  Simeon  and  Benja- 
min would  have  been  close  to  Jacob's 
vision,  but  in  the  answer  to  Jacob's  self- 
ishness and  limitations,  it  had  been 
worse  for  Jacob  and  for  humanity.  The 
things  that  were  against  Jacob  were  the 
best  things  for  him,  for  his  race  and  for 
the  world.  The  trend  of  history,  the 
dispensation  of  grace,  the  highest  inter- 
ests of  humanity  were  changed  because 
for  a  little  while  things  seemed  to  be 
against  him  and  his  house. 

I  know  not  the  meaning  of  this  dis- 
pensation, but  I  am  sure  that  though 
Joseph  be  not,  even  these  things  are  for 
you  and  will  continue  to  be  for  you 
whilst  you  look  not  at  the  things  which 
are  seen  and  temporal. 

That  was  a  beautiful  expression  when 
of  olden  time  it  was  often  said  of  the 


if  99 

departed  that  "  he  was  gathered  unto 
his  people."  It  is  a  beautiful  and  fit 
thing  that  our  brother  should  find  his 
resting-place  here  where  his  family  name 
has  been  so  honored,  and  where  his  own 
people  for  the  generations  have  lain 
waiting  for  the  resurrection.  Here  are 
his  people  whose  patriotism,  sterling 
character,  and  religious  service  have 
given  influence  and  honor  to  the  family 
name.  It  is  right  and  beautiful  that  he 
should  lie  resting  in  these  beautiful  hills, 
waiting  to  rise  with  his  own  to  the  prom- 
ised recognition  and  reward.  But  in  a 
higher  and  truer  sense,  even  had  he  lain 
in  the  depths  of  the  sea,  he  is  gathered 
unto  his  people.  His  own  kinfolk,  his 
people,  are  those  to  whom  his  spirit  has 
gone,  and  with  whom  he  already  finds 
congenial  companionship  and  service. 
When  a  soul  believes  in  Jesus  Christ  ; 
when  the  human  hand  has  grasped  that 
divine  hand,  and  the  human  heart  that 
divine  heart,  there  flows  forth  that  one 
eternal  life,  pulsating  and  vivifying, 
which  makes  us  forever  and  forever  of 


ioo   Joseph  Gabell  JSrccftinriOge,  Jr. 

the  people  of  God.  They  are  distinctly 
our  people.  We  are  their  kin.  Heaven 
is  our  home.  God  is  our  Father. 

It  is  right  on  this  occasion  that  we  be 
reminded  of  his  profession  of  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ.  Consistently,  honestly, 
beautifully,  he  believed  God,  and  it  was 
counted  to  him  for  righteousness.  He 
recognized  the  stormy  sea  on  which  his 
boat  was  struggling ;  he  knew  the  peril 
and  the  weakness  of  earthly  promise. 
His  faith  grasped  a  life-line  that  never 
yet  has  broken — that  never  can  break, 
— whose  strands  were  made  in  Heaven, 
and  bear  within  them  the  Almighti- 
ness  of  God.  The  moment  of  his  weak- 
ness was  the  moment  of  Almighty 
strength.  His  has  been  rescue  into 
calm  and  eternal  safety.  He  has  joined 
his  kinfolk  and  has  place  and  joy  in 
the  house  not  made  with  hands.  A  life 
that  was  beautiful,  a  character  that  was 
honest,  an  aim  that  was  heroic,  a  work 
that  was  complete,  a  service  that  was 
faithful,  he  proved  himself  the  good  son 
and  brother,  the  honest  friend,  the  brave 


SppenDtj  1F1f  ioi 

man.  As  we  leave  him  tenderly  among 
his  own  people,  assured  of  his  rest  and 
reward,  we  hear,  as  of  old,  the  loving 
words  of  the  Master,  "  Thy  friend,  thy 
son,  thy  brother,  shall  rise  again." 


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